Molhe de Picarras Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab a seat and listen up. Rusty here, and I’ve had a good look at what little we’ve got coming our way at Molhe de Picarras. To be honest, it’s a pretty flat and ordinary run for the next two weeks. This spot is a sheltered breakwater, which means it takes a very specific angle to get anything decent, and for most of this forecast, that just isn’t happening.

We start with some tiny, weak dribble on the 14th. Tuesday afternoon gives us a small 4ft swell from the SE, and the wind goes glassy though, so if you’re a beginner and absolutely need to wet a line, it’s not unsurfable. But the wave energy is weak, sitting at just 293, and the period is short at 10 seconds, so don’t expect any push.

Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 16th are more of the same – knee-high dribble in the morning with glassy conditions, but the waves are just ordinary. The afternoons turn to rubbish with onshore breezes. This pattern basically holds all the way through the month. You get a brief window on the morning of the 20th with a glassy 4ft swell from the ENE, but the period drops to 8 seconds, so it’s weak and crumbly.

The only real standout here, and I use that word lightly, is the 27th of July. Monday morning we finally see a pulse of energy. Swell bumps to 6ft from the E, with a combined energy reading of 354 – that’s the best we’ve seen, and it’s moderate power. The wind is glassy, which is the dream. This is getting into the zone for stronger surfers only due to the size, and the swell direction is from the E, which isn’t the break’s absolute optimum, but it’ll be the best shaped and cleanest wave all fortnight. The period is still short at 8 seconds, so it’ll be a bit fat and dumpy, but it’s the only morning I’d bother setting the alarm for. After that, the onshore winds ruin it for the afternoon.

The rest is a long stretch of waist-high slop with weak energy, usually under 200. A few mornings like the 28th offer a glassy 4ft, but it’s the same old story – short period, unexciting surf. There’s a weird spike in period on the 29th with a 14-second groundswell from the SE, but the height is a pathetic 2ft, so it’s basically just lumps. For a spot like this, a long-period swell that small is a waste.

So, bottom line: if you can only go once, make it the morning of the 27th of July. It’s not a classic, but it’s the only day with a bit of size and clean conditions. The rest is a flat spell.

- Rusty

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