Cabo Lastres Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. We’ve had a look at the charts for Cabo Lastres, and I’ll be straight with you – the next fortnight is a bit of a mixed bag, with a lot of waiting involved. There’s a real gap of small, weak, and messy surf to start with, so we’re going to need some patience.

The first worthwhile surf doesn’t show up until the morning of Saturday the 26th of July. Before that, we’re looking at days of tiny, onshore junk. The early part of the run, from the 17th through the 25th, is dominated by swells barely breaking 3ft, with periods as short as 3 seconds. The wind is mostly cross or onshore, and the combined energy is a measly 10 to 85 – basically nothing. Even the glassy morning of the 19th of July only had 1.0ft with a period of 9 seconds, but the energy was still only 30. It’s a real desert.

Saturday morning the 26th of July is where it finally gets a little interesting. Cabo Lastres is seeing a 3ft swell from the north, with a 6-second period. The energy is still low at 73, but the wind is glassy (NNE at 5 km/h), so it’s clean. The report says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” so it’s a small window for a longboard or a funboard if you’re desperate to get wet.

The real standout, however, looks to be the morning of Monday the 28th of July. That’s the one to keep an eye on. We finally get a jump in quality with a 3ft swell from the NNW, but the key is the period: 10 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell showing up, and the combined energy jumps to 296 (moderate). The wind is a light cross-onshore from the NNW at 5 km/h, which isn’t perfect, but it’s light. The report calls it “marginal,” but this is the best energy in the window. For a point break like Cabo Lastres, that longer period should give it more shape.

The swell builds further into the morning of Tuesday the 29th of July, hitting 4ft from the NNW with an 11-second period. The energy is a solid 418 at that point. Again, the wind is a light cross-onshore (NW at 10 km/h), so it’s not glassy, but it’s manageable. The following morning, the 30th of July, drops back to 3ft from the NW with a 10-second period, but the energy is still 209. By Thursday afternoon the 30th, the swell actually jumps to 6ft from the NW with a 10-second period, and the energy hits 547. That’s serious wave energy, but it’s a Thursday afternoon, and the wind is onshore from the NNE at 10 km/h, which will likely make it a bit lumpy. At 6ft, it’s getting into the territory where beginners might want to sit it out.

The morning of the 1st of August is a small, clean finish with a 3ft swell from the NNW, a 9-second period, and glassy conditions (ENE at 5 km/h). Energy is only 119, so it’s weak, but it’s clean and rideable.

Overall, for the experts, the morning of the 28th of July through the morning of the 29th of July is the best bet, with that long-period groundswell and decent energy. The swell direction is NNW, which is a good match for the optimum NW direction for Cabo Lastres. It’s a consistent, exposed point, so it handles that swell well. Just remember it’s an expert wave, and crowds are “sometimes” a factor here. If you’re a beginner, wait for the small, glassy windows on the 26th of July or the 1st of August.

Stay patient, and keep your eyes on that window around the 28th.

Rusty.

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