Pontal Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The long-range picture for Pontal is pretty grim, to be honest. We’re looking at a solid stretch of small, messy, onshore slop for the next week and a half, with only a few brief windows where it might clean up enough to be worth a paddle. The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t even show up until the morning of Thursday the 6th, and even that’s a marginal call.

The first few days are just rough. From the start through Wednesday the 5th, we’ve got a weak, short-period ESE swell wrapping in at around 4 to 5 feet, but the cross-onshore winds are gonna have it all chopped up and lumpy. That 261 combined energy on Wednesday afternoon might sound like something, but with the 8-second period and the SE breeze, it’s just gonna be a messy close-out. Not worth your time.

Thursday the 6th is the first real opportunity, but it’s tricky. There’s a high-pressure system bringing a light WSW cross-offshore breeze in the morning. The swell drops slightly to around 4 feet but the period stays at that short 8 seconds. That light wind will make it glassy and clean, which is a huge plus. It’s a small window, maybe a few hours, where Pontal could actually have some shape. The energy is down to 213, which is weak, but it’s the cleanest it’ll be all week. This is the one to be looking at if you've got a longboard and just want a slide.

After that, we slide back into the doldrums. From Friday the 7th right through to Monday the 18th, it’s a lot of nothing. The swell stays small, mostly under 4 feet, with periods around 7-8 seconds. Winds are mostly cross or cross-on, keeping things bumpy. There are brief moments on the 15th and 16th where the period jumps up to 13 seconds, and the energy climbs into the 300s, but the swell height stays around 3 feet and the winds are just as bad. That long-period energy with a cross-shore wind at a beach break like this is just going to close out and chop up. It’s not worth the paddle.

The one standout, and I mean the only one, is the morning of Saturday the 15th. The swell is only around 3 to 3 feet, but it’s coming from the ESE with a 13-second period. The energy is up at 361, which is moderate. More importantly, the wind is a light SSE cross-shore. It’s not offshore, but it’s light enough that it might not ruin the clean lines. The long period at a beach break can make it break a bit straight, but with that size, it might just have some fun, rippable shoulders. It’s promising, but with long-range calls like this, you gotta take it with a grain of salt. It’s a “might be good” not a “definitely good”.

Other than that, there’s nothing. The water temp is around 79° here, which is right on the money for this time of year, so at least you won’t freeze while you’re sitting there waiting for something that never comes. This is a pretty bleak outlook for Pontal. The swell is weak, the winds are wrong, and the period is either too short or too long for the break. If you’re desperate for a surf, Thurs morning and maybe that Sat morn are your only chances. Otherwise, might be time to find a lake or take up kite surfing, because the onshore winds and small swell are more suited for that than a paddle session.

Alright, that’s the story from here. Stay patient, keep an eye on that Saturday call, and don’t get your hopes up for the rest of it.

Rusty

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