Matosinhos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, folks, Rusty here, looking over the next sixteen days for Matosinhos.

Honestly, I’m scraping the barrel here. The truth is, there isn’t a day in this whole window that I’d get properly excited about. It’s a real run of small, weak, and mostly messy conditions. We’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, grovelly waves, and for the most part, it’s not going to be worth paddling out for anything more than a splash about. That said, it’s not all doom and gloom – there are a couple of brief windows where the ocean might just clean up enough for a few rideable ones, but they are few and far between.

We start off on Saturday the 1st with a bit of a tease. The morning has a tiny 2ft W swell with a weak energy reading (82), but the wind is glassy from the SSW. That’s about as good as it gets for a while, and it'll be clean but gutless. Don't expect much.

Then the wind swings around and it pretty much turns to mush. From Saturday afternoon through to the 8th, we’ve got a run of poor conditions. The swell stays small, mostly under 3ft, with periods all over the shop, and we are dealing with a lot of cross-onshore and onshore breezes. The energy readings are mostly in the weak to low-moderate range (between 28 and 108). You’ll see waves, but they’ll be lumpy, bumpy, and a struggle. It's a proper skunk-fest for a solid week here. The only saving grace is the water temp, which is sitting at a comfortable 66°, which is about normal for this time of year.

Now, look, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s a flickering one. On Sunday the 9th, the early morning might just be worth a look. The swell is still only 3ft from the W, but the wind goes glassy again, and the energy bumps up just past the low mark (92). It will be clean, but still small and weak. If you’re desperate for a surf, that’s your best bet for the first week. It’s a proper dawny, though – the afternoon turns to garbage as the wind picks up.

After that, we drop right back down again. From the 10th to the 12th, the swell tanks and the wind’s all over the place. More poor conditions and tiny surf. Don’t kid yourself.

Things get a little more interesting energy-wise from the 13th to the 14th. The combined energy climbs up into the low-moderate range (113-117), but the swell height is still only around 2-3ft. So we're getting more energy for the same wave height, meaning the swell might have a touch more push, but the wind is still cross-onshore. It’s not the recipe for clean, rippable waves at this beach-reef setup. On the afternoon of the 14th, the wind really gets going from the NNW at 25 mph, so that potential just gets shredded.

Then, for the last few days, from the 15th to the 16th, it’s more of the same. Small swell, short periods, and strong winds again. The 16th has a touch more period (10 seconds) but the swell is a pathetic 2ft and the wind is howling. Honestly, this last stretch looks more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle surfers.

So, to wrap it up: it’s a bleak outlook. There are no standouts, no days I'd call a winner. If you've got to get wet, the mornings of the 1st and the 9th are your best shots for a clean, albeit tiny, wave. But set your expectations low. This kind of flat, poor-quality spell isn't all that unusual in these parts, so we know it won't last forever. Forecasts change, and we'll be back in the water before you know it.

Rusty.

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