Matosinhos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board. The next two weeks here at Matosinhos are a real mixed bag, a bit of a waiting game for most of it. The period starts with a whole lot of "meh" and some poor conditions, but there's one killer window and maybe another one late in the game if you're patient.

Right now, we've got a bit of a flat spell kicking things off. The first few days are mostly a write-off. From Tuesday the 8th through to Saturday the 12th, the wind is a mess. It’s either cross, cross-on, or just onshore, and the waves are tiny and weak. The combined energy is pretty low, barely hitting over 200 (peaking at 216 on Wednesday afternoon) but it's all lumpy and choppy. Don't waste your time. Even Saturday morning the 12th has a clean look with offshore easterlies, but the swell is only 2ft from the NW. It's surfable but really ordinary. That's a long stretch of nothing for five days.

Now, here's the standout. Sunday the 13th morning is your window for the whole period. The wind is light and offshore from the *E*, swinging to *ESE* by Monday. The water temp is a mild 68°, which is about normal for this time of year. We’ll get a solid 4ft groundswell from the NW, but here’s the kicker: the period is a very long 13 seconds. That means serious energy – the combined energy jumps to 364 – and proper, well-shaped waves. This is a groundswell, so it'll wrap in and hold its shape nicely. The wind going offshore will keep it glassy, making for some of the cleanest surf we'll see. The only bummer? With offshore winds and clean conditions, the crowds at Matosinhos can get *often* full, so get in early. This is the one to circle.

After that, it drops back into the doldrums. Monday the 14th morning has a glassy *ESE* wind but only 3ft of swell. The rest of that week through to the weekend (up to the 20th) is just tiny, weak, and mostly cross-onshore again. There are a few glassy windows here and there, like Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th mornings with zero or light southerly winds, but the swell is barely there – 2ft with low energy. It's just not worth paddling out for.

We then round the corner into the final week. The 21st and 22nd are flat and forgettable. Then, another potential bright spot shows up in the very long range. Wednesday the 23rd morning has a light offshore cross-off wind from the *S* and a clean forecast. The swell jumps back up to 2ft, but again, the period is a very long 13 seconds from the WNW, and the combined energy is a solid 201. It's not the size of the 13th, but that long-period groundswell on a clean morning will produce some fun, rippable walls. Keep an eye on it, but it's a long way out.

Overall, if you can only surf one day, make it Sunday the 13th morning. The second week's promise on the 23rd is a good backup if you're desperate for a fix.

Rusty.

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