Estaleiro Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let's take a look at what's happening at Estaleiro Reef over the coming weeks. This is a classic reef setup that likes an ESE swell, and we've got a bit of a mixed bag coming our way.

First up, the water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

The start of the period has some small, clean waves. Sunday morning the 5th July brings a 3ft SE swell at 11 seconds, with a light offshore from the WNW – that's proper clean. The combined energy is moderate (236). Sunday afternoon goes glassy with a tiny 3ft swell, but it's still clean. Monday and Tuesday stay similar, with small 3ft to 3ft SE swells, but the wind is a bit more mixed – glassy on Tuesday morning though, and that 3ft SE swell with 10-second period and moderate energy (317) is the pick of this early run.

Wednesday the 8th through Friday the 10th drop off into the 2ft to 3ft range with weaker energy, and the wind stays mostly off or cross-off, but it's not really worth getting too excited about. There's a long gap from Friday afternoon right through until the following Sunday morning the 12th where conditions are poor or marginal.

Now, the standout in this whole outlook is Sunday morning the 12th July. We've got a solid 3ft ESE swell with a long 13-second period – that's proper groundswell, and it's coming from the right direction for the reef. The wind is light offshore from the NW, which means clean, lined-up waves. The combined energy is moderate to strong (297). This is the best session on offer, no doubt. Just keep in mind that this break is inconsistent, so don't expect non-stop action – get ready to wait for the sets. Crowds are possible here sometimes.

After that, the swell fades quickly through the second week. Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th are tiny, with 1ft to 2ft swells and weak energy. Wednesday the 15th is glassy but only 2ft. Thursday and Friday the 16th and 17th are mostly poor or very small, though Friday the 17th has a very long period 15-second swell, but it's only 1ft to 2ft – not enough to really work.

Then we get a bit of a pulse on Sunday the 19th July. The morning looks messy with a 5ft SE swell, but the period is short at 7 seconds, and the wind is cross – not great. However, the afternoon is a real treat: 4ft SE swell at 7 seconds, but glassy conditions with a light offshore from the WNW. The combined energy jumps to 360, which is moderate. That will be fun, punchy, short-period waves, clean as a whistle. It's a late-afternoon call, but well worth it.

Monday the 20th July morning brings a 4ft SE swell with a very long 16-second period, but the wind is cross-onshore from the S at 9 mph, and the energy is strong (779), so it's going to be messy and probably blown out. That kind of power with the wind on it is more for the kite surfers than us paddle surfers.

So, to sum it up: the absolute best bet is Sunday morning the 12th July – that's your session. The backup is Sunday afternoon the 19th July if you're around for a glassy, punchy end to the fortnight. The rest is small or ordinary.

Rusty.

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