Ponto Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on offer at Ponto.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you. This forecast is a tough one to swallow. We’re looking at a long stretch of pretty ordinary conditions. For the next week or so, from Tuesday the 18th right through until the end of August, the swell is small, the energy is weak, and the reports are all saying the same thing: poor surf. It’s a real quiet spell. We’re looking at tiny waves, mostly under 2ft, with a long period groundswell coming from the SSW. That long period (over 15 seconds) means the waves that do show up will have a bit of shape to them, but at a river mouth like Ponto, it can make the waves break a bit too straight and closed out. Plus, the combined swell energy is weak, only hitting two-digit numbers most days, barely cracking three digits. The water is a warm 72°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s small comfort when there's nothing to ride.

The first sign of anything even slightly better shows up on the morning of Saturday the 29th of August. We finally see a bump in size to 4ft from the SSW, with the combined energy jumping up to a moderate 792. It’s still not a classic – the forecast calls it “marginal” – and the wind is looking a bit cross-onshore by the Sunday, so it won't be glassy. That little pulse of energy sticks around through the start of September, but it’s still just a marginal, inconsistent offering. By Wednesday the 2nd of September morning, the swell bumps to 2ft with a solid 17-second period from the SSW and the energy hits 592, but again, we’ve got a cross-onshore wind messing with the surface.

Honestly, there is no true standout here. The entire 16-day window is a write-off for any decent waves. If you’re desperate, the mornings of the 29th and 30th of August have the most size at around 4-4ft, but with those gentle cross-onshore winds, the conditions won't be clean. This is a spot that’s pretty consistent, so this is a real bummer of a pattern. Keep an eye on it, because forecasts can change, but for now, there's nothing worth paddling out for.

- Rusty

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