Matosinhos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for Matosinhos. We've got a long, quiet spell ahead, so let's get into it.

The pattern is flat and messy. For the first few days, we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel with tiny, weak dribbles. From Thursday 23rd July all the way through to the end of the month, most of the energy is bottomed out. The combined energy figures are mostly in the double digits, often under 100 – that’s barely a ripple. Winds are also a problem, mostly cross or cross-onshore, which will keep things lumpy and uninviting.

There’s a real gap of about a week with no surf worth paddling out for. The only glimmer comes right at the start of August. On Saturday 1st August, the afternoon sees a bump in the swell to 6ft from the WNW, with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 554 (moderate), which is the most interesting we’ve seen all forecast. But it’s still blowing cross-onshore, so it’ll be choppy and a bit of a workout. That size is pushing into the too-big-for-beginners territory.

Sunday 2nd August keeps that energy up – 5ft from the NW with a period of 11 seconds and a combined energy of 523. The morning is glassy with a light onshore, which is as good as it gets for this window. That mix of longer period and clean-ish conditions might actually produce a few fun ones. But again, the wind swings around and kills it by the afternoon.

After that, it’s back to poor conditions. The wind really cranks up from the 3rd onwards, with fresh breezes and lumpy seas. The swell drops off again, and the last week of the forecast is just more of the same: small, weak, and wind-affected.

The water temp is 69°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won't be freezing while you sit there waiting.

If I had to pick the best of a bad bunch, it’s the Sunday morning 2nd August. The swell has some push, the period is decent, and the glassy morning offers a clean window. But even then, it’s a far cry from proper surf. Honestly, for most of this period, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, especially when the winds are up.

Keep your expectations low, and maybe give it a miss until the forecasts change. Rusty.

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