Esposende Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for the coming weeks at Esposende. I've got to be straight with you – this is a tough stretch. The next week and a half are pretty grim, no two ways about it. We're looking at a long dry spell with hardly anything worth paddling out for until we get into the back half of July.

Right from Sunday the 5th, it's a write-off. Tiny 1ft waves from the NW, cross-onshore wind, and the combined energy is a weak 74 – just not enough push to do anything. The water is sitting at 61°, which is a bit colder than what you'd normally expect for this time of year, so you'll want the thick rubber if you do go in. That sets the tone for the whole first week. Monday the 6th starts glassy, which is nice to see, but the swell is still that same miserable 1ft. The rest of the week is a parade of small, crummy cross-onshore slop, with combined energy bouncing around between 26 and 118. The swell period is often short, around 8 to 10 seconds, and the wind just never lets it clean up.

We finally get a small window of hope on Thursday morning the 9th. The wind goes glassy and the swell ticks up to 2ft from the WNW with a 9-second period. The combined energy hits 94, which is still weak but at least it's surfable. The wave comment says "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions," which is about right. It'd be a morning for a longboard, just to get wet. But that window slams shut by the afternoon, as the cross-onshore returns and chops it all up.

The following week, from the 10th to the 18th, is more of the same. Tiny waves, persistent cross-on winds, and combined energy values that rarely crack 200. There are a few glassy mornings again on the 16th and 18th, but with swell hovering around 1ft to 2ft, it's barely a ripple. A couple of afternoons see the swell nudge up, but the period drops right off – on Saturday the 18th, we get a 4ft swell but with a pathetic 5-second period, so it's just a bumpy, gutless mess.

Now, here's the one thing that catches my eye, but you have to wait for it. On Sunday the 19th of July, things change. The swell picks up to 5ft from the NNW, combined energy jumps to 173, and that's just the start. By Sunday afternoon, it's 7ft with energy at 426. Monday the 20th is the biggest of the whole run, with 7ft to 8ft from the NNW and energy surging to 830. Now before you get too excited, look at that wind: Sunday brings a light cross-shore, which is okay, but then it swings to a cross-onshore and by Monday it's onshore. The period is also short, 6 to 8 seconds, so this will be a lumpy, crumbly, and powerful mess – better suited for a jet ski than a paddle. At 8ft, this is expert-only territory at a river mouth like Esposende, and with the wind ruining it, the setup honestly looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a regular surfer. Don't trust this one from 16 days out; long-range forecasts like this are always dicey.

So, to sum it up: the only true standout is Thursday morning the 9th for a glassy, grovelly session. Beyond that, the 19th and 20th bring size but with poor conditions. The rest is a blank run. For Esposende, this sort of quiet spell isn't unusual, but it never stays poor forever – forecasts can shift.

Rusty.

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