Matosinhos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at the forecast for the next couple of weeks for Matosinhos.

Mate, I gotta be straight with you – this outlook is a tough sell. For the first several days, we’re looking at a real flat spell. From Saturday the 8th right through to Monday morning the 11th, the waves are tiny, mostly under 2 feet, and the wind is all wrong, making it a complete non-starter. There’s a long gap of poor surf with no real recommendation.

Things start to show a tiny pulse of life on Wednesday morning the 12th. It’s only 3 feet from the west with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined swell energy hits a moderate 126. What makes it worth a mention is the glassy conditions. First time in days we get that clean surface. It’s small and weak, and the water temp is 68°, a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. But it’s something.

The quiet continues through the rest of the first week and into the second. The swell tries to tick up, with Friday morning the 14th seeing a 3 feet swell from the west-northwest, but it’s a cross-onshore wind chop all day. Every morning looks like it might clean up, but the afternoons get blown out by that northwest wind.

Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th mornings have glassy conditions again with a 3-4 feet swell from the northwest, and the wave energy is moderate (122 and 157). These are your best bets for a paddle, even if the conditions are described as ordinary. You’ll get a clean, workable wave, but it’s not going to light the world on fire.

Now, looking ahead to Friday the 21st, there’s a bit of a spike. The morning shows a 4 feet swell from the northwest with a period of 10 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to a strong 349. That’s the biggest push of the forecast. But it’s marked as marginal, and by the afternoon it jumps to 6 feet with wild energy of 773, but it’s blown out by a cross-onshore wind. At that size, and with that period, it’s only for the experienced crew, but the wind is a killer. Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd are just messy with strong winds.

The best on offer is probably the Wednesday morning the 12th. It’s tiny, but it’s the first real sign of life with absolutely clean, glassy conditions. For a proper wave, the Friday morning the 21st is the most promising but the most uncertain. That 4 feet northwest groundswell has the energy, but the cross-onshore wind is a worry. If it cleans up, that’s the one. It’s a beach and reef set-up here at Matosinhos, and with that longer period, it might break a bit too straight for the beach, but if it holds, it could be fun.

Rusty.

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