Estaleiro Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for this stretch of coast.

We're looking at a pretty quiet run for a while, so don't be in a rush. The first proper surfable days are a long way off, with a real gap of poor to ordinary conditions for over a week. The middle of the second week finally brings some life, but it's a mixed bag.

The only spot we've got in the picture is Estaleiro Reef. It's a reef break, suits intermediates, but it's inconsistent, so you need a bit of patience. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing weird going on there.

For the first week, from Sunday the 26th of July right through to the end of the month, it's a scratch. You've got small, weak swell (energy values are mostly in the 60s and 70s, with a brief spike to 126 on Thursday morning but with onshore wind). The best you'll get is a clean 3ft to 3ft on the Sunday and Monday mornings with light offshore breeze, but it's just ordinary. After that, it's small, messy, and onshore. Not worth paddling out for.

The start of August is more of the same. Saturday the 1st and Sunday the 2nd are glassy but tiny, with energy barely breaking 70. Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th are similarly small and clean but the swell is just too weak.

Then, things change. On Wednesday the 5th of August, we see a real jump in swell size and energy (189 and 281), but the wind is all wrong – cross-onshore and onshore, making it a choppy mess. That's a kite-surfing setup, not a paddling one.

The standout, and the only real highlight, lands on Thursday the 6th of August. The afternoon session is the pick of the entire forecast. The swell bumps up to a solid 5ft from the ENE, with a combined energy of 318 – that's moderate to strong. The wind swings offshore from the W, and the report says "fresh offshore and clean" in the morning, and by afternoon it's a clean cross-offshore breeze. The 5ft is a bit much for beginners, but for intermediates and up, this is the one. Friday the 7th of August is also good, with a clean 3ft from the E in the morning and a 3ft from the ENE in the afternoon, both with favourable winds. The energy is still high, in the 200s.

Saturday the 8th of August holds up with clean 3ft surf and light winds, a nice little run of form. But it fades again on Sunday and Monday the 9th and 10th, with onshore winds and dropping swell.

So, if you're looking for a window, circle the 6th and 7th of August. The Thursday afternoon is the best on offer; the swell is solid, the wind is right, and the reef will handle the direction well. The Friday is a slightly smaller, but still very clean, runner-up. The rest is a waiting game.

Rusty.

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