Ponto Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right from the get-go, I’ll be straight with ya—this forecast for our stretch is a tough one. We've got a window coming up, but it's not exactly setting the world on fire. The best of what we see is at the start, and then it fades into a pretty quiet stretch. If you're keen, you gotta be ready to move early next week, otherwise it might be a while before we see anything worth the wetsuit.

The first real look is Monday morning, September 7th. There's some leftover energy in the water, but it's rough around the edges. We're looking at chest to head-high stuff around 6 ft, pushing in from the SSW with a period of 13 seconds. The energy is substantial, with a combined reading of 1098, but the wind is going to be the story. It's coming cross-on from the WNW at 6 mph, making things a bit lumpy. The water is sitting at a balmy 73°, which is a solid 5° warmer than usual—that's a pretty big deal for this time of year, so you might get away with a thinner suit.

After that, it's a bit of a letdown. The swell is due to drop right back down and get messy. For the rest of Monday and into Tuesday, we're looking at smaller surf and that cross-on wind sticking around, which will chop things up. Monday afternoon is a write-off.

We have to wait until Wednesday the 9th for a change in the wind, but the swell is going to be weak. The morning has a glassy, clean look with light winds, and the swell direction swings around to the SW with a longer period of 16 seconds. It's small, only around 2 ft, and the energy has faded to a weak 416. This might be a log-wave kind of morning, but it's not offering much push. The afternoon looks similar with a bit of a bump.

Thursday, September 10th, sees a slight pulse of swell, back up to 3 ft, and the period is long at 17 seconds. The energy ticks up a touch to 616, which is still in the moderate range. But that cross-on wind returns, so it's going to be a bit lumpy again. It's still marginal.

Friday the 11th onward just fades away. We drop into a real lull, with the swell shrinking day by day and the period dropping back. There are days where it's clean with onshore or light winds, but there's just no power in the water. The combined energy readings are pitiful, mostly in the 200-300 range. It’s honestly a whole lot of nothing for days on end. We're looking at a real flat spell stretching through the middle of the period.

There is a flicker of life late in the game. By Monday, September 21st, the swell pushes back up to 3 ft, and the period stretches out to 18 seconds on the morning of the 21st. The energy kicks up over 600, and the wind is light and offshore. It looks like the cleanest conditions of the whole run, but it's still in the marginal category for size and power. It’s promising, but it’s a long way out, so don't book your flights just yet.

The morning of the 22nd hangs in there too, but it's losing steam. For Ponto, with its river-mouth setup, these longer period swells can be a bit finicky. The wave faces might not connect as well as a shorter period pulse. The crowds are a factor too—this spot is well known and often busy, so don't expect to have it to yourself.

So there it is. Monday the 7th is the only day with any real size, despite the messy wind. If you miss that, you're waiting until around the 21st for that clean but small window. For the rest of it, we're looking at a lot of flat, quiet water. You might even get the kiteboarders out having a play if that cross-on wind picks up, but for a paddle surfer, it's a lean spell. Keep the wax warm and watch the forecasts. This is Rusty, signing off.

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