Estaleiro Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, fellas, let's get you across this forecast. It's a bit of a slow starter, so keep your expectations in check for the first little while.

The immediate outlook is pretty poor. The wave for Tuesday the 15th is a tiny 0.7m with a short, weak SE windswell. The morning might be glassy, but the energy is weak, and it'll be super slow. The afternoon goes fully onshore and turns to junk. That sets up a real flat spell.

From Wednesday the 16th through Friday the 18th, it's a proper dead zone. Swell stays under 0.7m and the winds are all over the place, mostly cross-onshore. You’d be wasting your time. That's a solid three days of no waves.

Saturday the 19th the ocean wakes up, but it's ugly. The swell comes up to 1.5m, but it's short-period windswell and the wind is howling onshore. It'll be a choppy, blown-out mess. Honestly, with that wind and the mix of beach and reef, the kitesurfers will be out and we'll be on the beach.

But then we hit the good stuff. The standout is Sunday, September 20th. The wind swings to a light offshore, the swell holds at 1.6m, and the energy kicks up to a moderate 305. The break cleans right up and the wave comment says it all: good surf conditions. It might be a bit short-period at 8 seconds, but for clean, chest-high waves, it's your best bet.

Monday, September 21st is another good one. It’s glassy and the swell is still a clean 1.4m (ENE). The energy holds up at 279. It won't have the size of Sunday, but it will be a beautiful, clean session at Estaleiro Reef (Estaleiro). The water temp is 19°C, which is normal for this time of year, so with the glassy conditions, it'll feel mint.

Mid-week, from Tuesday the 22nd to Thursday the 24th, we're back to small, average surf with 0.9m to 1.1m waves. Light winds, mostly clean but really weak energy. It's surfable, but you'll be looking for the inside banks.

The following week has a couple of calls. Monday, September 29th is when the period jumps to 14 seconds, which is proper groundswell. The problem is the size is only 1.0m and the wind is light and cross-shore. It might be a bit gutless and shifty.

Tuesday, September 30th is the other one to watch. The swell builds to 1.5m with light offshore winds and clean conditions. The energy is stronger (368), and despite the short 7-second period, it will be a punchy and fun session. This is a promising, but less certain, long-range pick.

So, to sum it up: if you want waves, hit it Sunday morning the 20th. Monday the 21st is a solid backup. The rest you can sleep in. This spot is inconsistent, so you need these bumps in the swell to line up. If they don't, it's a long drive for nothing.

Catch you in the water.

Rusty.

Read more