Matosinhos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Matosinhos over the next couple of weeks, and I gotta be straight with you—it’s a tough stretch ahead.

This forecast is a long, dry spell with almost no decent surf on the menu. The first solid window we see is a full week away, and even then it’s nothing to write home about. For the first week, it’s mostly tiny, choppy, and cross-onshore winds messin’ up whatever little bumps show up. You’ll see a bit of swell energy, but it’s weak—most readings sit under 100 on the energy scale, and the waves are all under 3.3 ft with short, weak periods around 8 seconds or less. Not worth paddling out for. The water temp is a normal 66.0°F for the time of year, so that’s not gonna make up for the lack of waves.

There are a couple of mornings that catch the eye, but only barely. On Friday morning, August 7th, we get a glassy session with a little 2.6 ft swell from the NW, period at 8 seconds. The energy is just 93—real weak—but the glassy wind means it’ll be the cleanest you’ll see all week. It’s surfable, but only just. Then on Sunday morning, August 9th, we get another glassy morning with a 2.3 ft NW swell, period 9 seconds, and energy at 85. Again, small and weak, but smooth as a lake. For Matosinhos—which is a beach and reef setup that needs a west swell and east offshore wind—these are your only real chances to get wet without it being a total washout. Expect crowds to be possible, as it’s often busy when there’s any ripple in the water.

The best of the whole outlook lands on Saturday, August 15th, and I mean *best* loosely. Saturday morning brings 4.6 ft of NW swell, period 9 seconds, and the energy jumps to 275—that’s moderate, nearly strong. The wind is cross-shore out of the NNW at 6 mph, so it’ll be a little bumpy but not blown out. This swell is big enough to have some push, but at 4.6 ft it’s still okay for most intermediates, not too big for beginners either. Saturday afternoon, though, the wind cranks to 22 mph from the NNW, turning it into a choppy mess with 319 energy—lots of power but totally lumpy. The other standout is Friday morning, August 14th: glassy wind, 3.6 ft from the NW at 9 seconds, energy at 174. That’s a decent little wave if you’re keen, and the glass means clean faces. But again, cross-onshore or not, it’s the best of a bad bunch.

After the 16th, the run really drops off into tiny 0.7 ft to 1.3 ft with nothing but onshore or cross-onshore breeze. If you’re a kite surfer, the afternoon winds from the 15th onward are strong and side-onshore, so you might get a thrill there, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a long wait for very little.

Stay patient, boys. The forecast might shift, but right now it’s a lean couple of weeks.

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