Ilha Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, looking at what’s on offer for Ilha over the next 16 days. There’s a bit of a humble start, but the second half of the window has a few nice windows shaping up, especially for the early birds.

The first real chance to get wet comes Monday morning, 6 July. Ilha is a reef set-up, and it’s waking up to a clean 3 ft S swell, with a period of 11 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell with some grunt. The wind is light and cross-off from the NE, so the faces should be tidy. The combined energy is moderate at 363, and it’s not a huge number, but it’s enough to get a few fun ones. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. This is your best bet for the early part of the week, but it’s a short-lived window – the afternoon turns cross-on and the quality drops.

Tuesday and Wednesday, 7-8 July, are write-offs. The swell drops to 2-3 ft, wind is onshore or cross-shore, and the energy falls away. The conditions are poor, and you’d be wasting your time.

Thursday morning, 9 July, looks interesting. It’s tiny, just 2 ft from the S, but the wind is glassy – dead calm. That’s a major positive for a reef break. The period is 11 seconds, so there’s still some shape. The energy is weak at 179, so it’s a longboard or a funboard session, but the cleanliness will be the standout. Friday morning, 10 July, is even smaller at 1.0 ft, but again glassy, with a very long 14-second period. That’s a real groundswell, but barely any energy (58) – almost flat. Not worth paddling out for unless you’ve got a SUP.

Saturday morning, 11 July, is glassy again with a 2 ft SE swell, period 13 seconds. The energy is still low at 177, but it’s clean. The afternoon brings a cross-on breeze, so the morning is the call. This is a marginal session, but for a reef break, glassy conditions make it the most fun you’ll have all week.

Sunday, 12 July, is a real highlight. The morning has a 2 ft SE swell with a 12-second period, and the wind is cross-off from the NNE. The energy is moderate at 212, and the waves are clean. The afternoon turns offshore from the NNW, with a 2 ft swell and 247 energy – still clean. Two sessions that day, both with clean faces. This is the best on offer for the first week, no doubt.

Then things get ugly. Monday to Tuesday, 13-14 July, the wind howls from the SW, hitting 19-22 mph, and the swell jumps to 7 ft with a short 11-second period. The energy spikes to 1183, but the wind is tearing it apart. It’s a messy, choppy mess. The water temp is still average, but the conditions are just poor. This is kite-surfing territory, not paddle surfing.

Wednesday morning, 15 July, is a surprise. The wind drops to glassy, and the swell is a clean 4 ft from the SSE, with a 10-second period. The energy is moderate at 331. The glassy conditions will make the reef work beautifully. It’s a morning-only window, as the afternoon turns cross-on. This is a standout for the second week.

Thursday morning, 16 July, is another clean session. The swell is 4 ft SSE with an 11-second period, and the wind is cross-off from the NE. The energy is 311, and the faces are clean. Same story – the afternoon turns messy.

The rest of the window is a mix of small, clean mornings and onshore afternoons. Friday and Saturday, 17-18 July, see the swell drop to 2-3 ft, with light winds in the mornings. Not much power, but the reef will offer the odd fun wave. The standout for the final week is Sunday morning, 19 July. The swell is 5 ft from the E, with a short 8-second period, so it’s a bit weak and jumbled, but the wind is cross-off from the N, and the energy is a solid 416. The short period means it’s a bit of a windswell, but the reef might line it up. Monday morning, 20 July, is also clean with a 3 ft SE swell, 10-second period, and offshore wind. The energy is 340, and it’s a nice, clean session to wrap things up.

The bottom line: the first week has a few glassy mornings, but Sunday 12 July is the real gem. The second week has Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 July as the best standouts, with clean, moderate-sized swell. The rest is small or windy. Get out there early.

Rusty.

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