Estaleiro Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Estaleiro Reef.

Honestly, mate, it’s a pretty quiet start. There’s hardly any size to talk about for the first few days. We’ve got a little bit of weak energy (56) on Thursday the 30th with a tiny 2ft swell from the ENE, but the period is a short 7 seconds. The wind goes glassy in the morning though, so if you’re desperate for a paddle and a clean surface, it’s worth a look, just don’t expect much push. The water temp is currently sitting at 65°, which is pretty average for this time of year, no surprises there. Estaleiro Reef is an intermediate reef break that’s inconsistent and picks up swell from the ESE best, so the small ENE swell isn’t ideal for it to really fire.

Moving into Saturday the 1st of August, we finally see a jump in energy. The combined energy hits 219 (moderate) with a 4ft swell from the ENE but still a short 6 seconds. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the north early on, which will keep things clean. That’s the best call in the whole first week, but it’s not a standout – it’s just the best of a flat-looking bunch. The rest of that weekend and into the next week is plagued by onshore and cross-shore winds, with the swell staying small and weak, so you’ll be scratching your head.

Now, the real interest lies in the second week. Fast forward to Wednesday the 12th of August. The morning shows a massive jump in combined energy to 688 (strong) with a 3ft swell from the SE, but get this – the period is a very long 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy. Those long-period swells can sometimes break too straight on a reef, but with the right tide, it could set up nicely. Wind is light and cross-shore, so not perfect but manageable. The afternoon pushes the swell to 4ft from the ESE at 9 seconds.

But the real standout, and the one to circle on your calendar, is the Thursday morning of the 13th of August. We’ve got 6ft of swell from the east with a 9-second period, and the combined energy is pumping at 532 (strong). The wind is light cross-offshore from the southwest, giving you that crisp, clean face. The afternoon glass off is even better. This is the best on offer across the whole 16 days. For an inconsistent reef that needs a good direction, this east pulse is aiming right at its optimum (ESE), so it should hold up nicely. Not for beginners at that size though – 6ft is getting solid for a reef, but for intermediates and above, this is the session. Crowds are listed as “sometimes”, so you might get your pick.

Before that, the Thursday morning of the 6th has a clean, cross-offshore window with weak energy, and the 4th has a glassy morning with a 12-second period SE swell (2ft), but it’s all very ordinary compared to that 13th burst.

So, for the first week, you’re mostly waiting. The second week has a couple of windows, but the 13th of August is the one that stands out as the best bet. Keep an eye on that.

Rusty

Read more