Estaleiro Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Estaleiro Reef. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but we’ve got a few windows that’ll get the heart pumping.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a wait on our hands. The first few days are pretty ordinary, with a small, short-period swell from the ENE. Sunday the 19th and Monday the 20th offer some clean, knee-to-waist high waves around 4ft to 4ft, but the period is a short 8 seconds, so it’s not got much grunt. The energy is weak (172 to 238). The wind is light offshore from the NW, so the surface should be clean, but it’s just not doing much. Then we hit a real dry spell from Tuesday the 21st right through to the end of the month. For over a week, the swell drops and the wind goes all over the place – onshore, cross-shore, you name it. The wave heights slip below 3ft, and the combined energy dips into the weak zone (as low as 55). Most of these days are a write-off, with a few “surfable but very ordinary” moments.

The first real standout doesn’t pop up until Thursday the 30th of July. The morning looks promising. We’ve got a new pulse of swell from the SSE, pushing 5ft with a combined energy of 358 – that’s moderate to strong. The wind is light offshore from the NW, keeping the reef clean. At 5ft, this is getting a bit much for beginners, but it’s solid for the intermediates. The swell direction is not quite the optimum ESE, but it’s close enough to get it working.

Now, the true highlight of the whole outlook is the first weekend of August. Mark your calendars. Saturday the 1st and Sunday the 2nd are looking like the best on offer. On Saturday morning, the swell is 3ft from the SE, but the period jumps to a very long 15 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy is a strong 381. The wind is light offshore again from the WNW. It’ll be clean with some serious push for its size. Long-period SE swells like this can be a bit straight at some beach breaks, but on a reef like Estaleiro, it’ll line up nicely. Sunday the 2nd is even better, with a glassy morning, no wind, and the same long-period SE swell (3ft, 15 seconds) pushing a combined energy of 440. This is a proper session, just you and the reef. Keep in mind, crowds are possible here, so get there early.

The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no wetsuit drama.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a dud, but the last few days of July and the first days of August have some real gems. The 30th of July morning is solid, but the 1st and 2nd of August are the standouts. That very long-period groundswell will be a treat.

Rusty.

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