Molho Leste Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

Well, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – this is a lean stretch. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with barely a ripple for days. The first real chance of anything surfable comes way down the line, so patience is the name of the game.

To start, we’ve got a period of very small, weak, and messy conditions. The whole first week and a half is a write-off for a proper surf. The waves are tiny, the wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, and the energy is flat. You’re looking at combined swell energy readings in the single digits to low teens (9, 11, 35), which is barely enough to move a sea lion. The wind is a constant problem, with a mix of light to moderate breezes, and everything is described as "poor surf conditions." It’s a good time to clean the wax off your boards or check the tide pools.

We’ll start to see a little pulse around the 25th of July, on Saturday morning. The swell bumps up to 5 ft from the WNW with a period of 7 seconds, and the combined energy climbs to 187 (moderate). But the wind is a cross-onshore, so it’s going to be a choppy, lumpy mess. By Saturday afternoon, we get a 5 ft swell from the NW with a period of 8 seconds and energy at 269 (moderate), but again, the wind is cross-shore. The "poor surf conditions" tag sticks.

From the 26th of July onward, the swell drops back off a cliff. We’re back to tiny, often zero-wave days. The wind does turn clean and offshore on some mornings, like the 26th, 27th, and 30th, but with no swell to work with, it’s just a pretty glassy lake. The combined energy readings are in the single digits (0, 6, 8, 9). It’s heartbreaking.

Finally, we get a glimmer of hope. On Saturday, August 1st, things start to look a little more interesting. The swell comes up to 2 ft from the NW with a 10-second period, and the combined energy hits 87 (weak) in the morning. The wind is a clean offshore from the north at 16 mph. This is the best window in the entire 16-day period. The wind is offshore, the swell has a bit of period, and it’s our only true standout.

If you’re itching to get wet, the only real call is Molho Leste on the morning of Saturday, August 1st. The swell is small at 2 ft from the NW, but with a clean offshore wind and a period of 10 seconds, it’ll be the most lined-up and glassy we’ll see. This is a sandbar break, and it’s inconsistent, so don’t expect perfection, but if you’re a patient intermediate surfer, this is your window. The water temperature is sitting at 68° with a normal anomaly for this time of year, so it’s comfortable.

After that, the swell fades again through the 2nd and 3rd, and we’re back to tiny, clean but flat waves. The 4th of August is a total zero.

So, to sum it up: a long, quiet stretch with one promising morning on August 1st. It’s a tough call to make, but that’s the reality of it.

Stay stoked, Rusty.

Read more