Estaleiro Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cooking for the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a long stretch ahead, and honestly, it’s a bit of a slow burner. For the first week and a half, the surf is pretty gutless, with a lot of small, short-period junk and poor wind. The real tease is a solid window of groundswell from the southeast that starts showing late in the month, but it’s constantly battling onshore winds. The standout action is tucked away at the very end of the run, where things finally come together.

Estaleiro Reef is the only game in town, and it’s going to be a waiting game. The first few days are a write-off. Thursday the 20th is glassy first thing with a tiny 3ft east swell, but the energy is weak (79). It’s surfable if you’re desperate, but it’s not worth rushing out for. Friday and Saturday are a mess of cross and onshore winds with next to nothing on offer.

The whole first week is a bust. You’re looking at a gap of nearly a week with no real recommendations. The swell tries to build from Saturday the 22nd with a 6ft south swell, but the wind is cross-on and it’s rated as marginal. The energy is moderate (716), but the conditions are just not there.

The real action starts to brew around Monday the 24th. The southeast groundswell builds to 4ft, and while the wind is still cross-on, the period is getting long – 14 seconds. By Tuesday the 25th, the stars start to align. The morning sees a light, cross-offshore wind from the southwest, and the swell is a clean 3ft from the southeast. The energy is solid (357). The afternoon goes glassy. This is the first proper window of good surf. The swell is clean, the period is long (14 seconds), and the energy is building.

The best of the best, the true standout, comes on Wednesday the 26th of August. The morning session is going to be a beauty. We’ve got glassy conditions, a light offshore wind from the west, and a 2ft southeast groundswell with a very long 16-second period. The combined energy is moderate (402). This is a classic reef set-up, so those long-period lines will wrap in beautifully. It’s only a small wave, but it’ll be perfect. The crowds are listed as *sometimes*, so you might have a few others in the water, but it’ll be worth it.

The good run continues into Thursday the 27th with another clean morning, 3ft from the southeast and 14-second period. The energy is moderate (326). After that, the swell fades out for the rest of the week, dropping back to tiny, weak waves.

Then, we get a second promising window. On Sunday the 30th of August, the morning brings a clean, offshore wind from the west-northwest. The swell is 3ft from the east-northeast with a 9-second period. The energy is moderate (227). It’s small, but it’s clean. The afternoon goes to hell with a strong cross-onshore, so be an early bird.

The final days of the run are a write-off. The first of September kicks off a solid stretch of onshore winds and building but messy swell. That 6ft on the 4th of September is a no-go for paddle surfing – the wind is driving it straight onshore and it’s choppy. At that point, it’s more of a kite-surfing show than a surf spot.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a dud. The Wednesday the 26th of August morning is your top pick for clean, glassy perfection. The Sunday the 30th of August morning is a solid second choice for a cleaner, smaller wave. After that, the forecast is a closed-out mess.

Stay patient, and keep an eye on the morning glass-offs.

Rusty.

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