Atalaia (Molhes) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s coming up for Atalaia (Molhes) over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag at first, but there are some real gems to look forward to if you’re patient.

We start off the window on Sunday the 23rd of August, and it’s pretty lackluster. The swell is tiny at 2ft from the SE with a decent 12-second period, but the energy is weak (128). The water is sitting at 68°, which is a tad warmer than usual for this time of year. It’s clean enough in the morning with a light cross-offshore breeze, but there’s just no punch. Not worth paddling out for.

The surf picks up on Monday the 24th. Morning looks promising with a 4ft SE swell, a long 14-second period, and moderate energy kicking in at 455. The wind is light SSW and cross-offshore, making it clean. This is a solid, fun-sized wave for intermediates. The afternoon gets choppy with onshore wind, so make the early call.

Tuesday the 25th is a bit of a tease. The swell drops to 3ft, but the wind goes glassy in the afternoon. Small, clean, but ordinary. Not a standout.

Now, Wednesday the 26th of August is the first real highlight. The morning brings 4ft from the SE with a very long 15-second period and strong energy (559). The wind is light and offshore from the W, so the waves will be clean and well-shaped. The afternoon gets even better – the swell bumps up to 4ft, the period holds at 15 seconds, energy jumps to 686, and the wind turns glassy. This is the best session of the whole run. If you can only surf one day, this is it. The long period will make it a bit more lined up at the jetty, excellent for intermediate to advanced surfers.

Thursday the 27th is still clean with a glassy morning and 3ft swell, but it’s a step down from Wednesday. The afternoon gets a bit of a cross-on ripple.

Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th see a shift in swell direction to ENE. The period drops to a short 8 seconds, which is a bit of a downer. The morning on Friday has 5ft and a clean cross-off, but it’s a short, bumpy wind swell. Not the same quality as the earlier SE groundswell.

Sunday the 30th of August is a nice surprise. The wind is glassy in the morning with 4ft from the E, 9-second period, and good energy (305). The waves will be clean but a little crumbly with that short period. A fun morning session before the onshore kicks in.

Monday the 31st is worth a mention. The morning has 4ft from the E with a cross-offshore breeze and good energy (311). The afternoon goes glassy with 4ft. It’s a solid day of clean, rideable waves.

The forecast gets interesting again on Wednesday the 2nd of September. The morning sees a big jump in size to 7ft from the SSE with a 12-second period and very strong energy (1621). This is a big, powerful swell. The wind is light cross-shore, so it will be a bit lumpy. This is for experienced surfers only – it’s a heavy wave at that size. If you’re not confident, give it a miss.

The rest of the first week of September drops back to smaller, clean but ordinary conditions. There’s a brief window on Sunday the 6th with 4ft from the E, a long 11-second period, and clean cross-off winds. Worth a look, but not a standout.

Overall, the best on offer is Wednesday the 26th of August, with the afternoon glassy session being the absolute peak. The second standout is the bigger swell on Wednesday the 2nd of September for the experts.

Rusty.

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