Baleal Sul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a tough stretch ahead. We’re looking at a long, dry run with nothing but poor surf conditions for days on end. The first real chance of a wave doesn’t even show up until the 19th of July, and even then, it’s not looking great. From now until then, the swell is tiny and the wind is all wrong. You’d be wasting your time.

The first bit of movement comes on Sunday the 19th. The swell bumps up to 5 ft from the NNW, but the period is short at 7 seconds, and it’s blown out by a solid 12 mph onshore wind. The combined energy wobbles into the moderate range at 263, but with that wind, it’s just messy. Not worth dragging the board down for.

That pattern holds through the 20th and 21st July. Swell builds to 6 ft on the 20th, with energy up to 427, but it’s still raw and onshore. By the 21st it drops back to 4 ft. Nothing’s clean.

Right around the 25th of July, we start to see some serious size. On the morning of the 25th, the swell hits 8 ft from the NNW, with a massive energy reading of 801. That’s a lot of water moving. But here’s the catch – the wind is cross-onshore, and the surf is still rated as poor. That kind of size with onshore wind is a washing machine. For experienced surfers only, and even then, it’s not going to be pretty.

The 28th of July morning is the one standout in the whole outlook. Swell is a solid 6 ft, from the NW, with a period stretching to 11 seconds – that’s proper groundswell. The combined energy hits 838, which is strong. The wind is offshore at 6 mph, which is a major positive. That means clean faces and proper shape. For a reef or point break, this would be the time. But at Baleal Sul, which is sheltered, the direction isn’t quite ideal – the optimum is from the west, and this is from the NW. Still, it’s the best we’ll see all period. The water is a bit colder than average for this time of year, with the anomaly at -2°C, so you’ll want the thick wetsuit.

After that, the 29th of July drops back to 5 ft, with onshore winds again. A letdown.

So, the call: If you’re desperate, the morning of the 28th of July is your window. It’s not perfect, but it’s the only session that looks like it’ll have clean, powerful waves. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or just plain ugly.

Rusty.

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