Ponto Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the table for the region. Straight up, this is a tough outlook. We’ve got a long stretch ahead and honestly, there isn’t a single day that’s firing. The whole 16-day window is looking pretty flat and messy for paddle surfing.

Starting now and going all the way through to the end of the month, the surf is small, the winds are mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the quality is just not there. The first real shot at anything rideable doesn’t even show up until Saturday, July 18th, and even then, it’s marginal at best. There’s a big gap of near-nothing from the start of the forecast right up to that weekend.

Let’s start with the only break on offer: Ponto. It’s a river mouth setup, fairly consistent, but the optimum swell direction is SW and we’re mostly getting a leftover, long-period SSW to SW groundswell. The water temp is sitting at 70°F, which is 4° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s notably warmer than average, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home.

For the first week, from July 11th through to the 17th, it’s grim. Swell heights are hovering around 1 ft to 2 ft with periods mostly 14 to 19 seconds. That long period is great for shape in theory, but with cross-onshore winds from the SW and WSW at 6 to 9 mph, the surface is choppy. The combined wave energy is weak to moderate (between 191 and 490), and every session is scored as poor. Not worth getting wet.

Now, Saturday July 18th and Sunday July 19th are the closest thing to a highlight. Swell bumps up a touch to around 3 ft to 3 ft from the SSE and SW, with 16–17 second periods. The combined energy climbs to a moderate 628 to 753. Winds go light and onshore from the WSW at 6 mph. It’s still only marginal, but if you’re desperate and want clean, small waves, the early mornings on that weekend are your best bet. The light onshore wind will keep it glassy enough for a longboard.

Monday July 20th through Wednesday July 22nd is back to poor conditions with cross-onshore winds picking up again. Swell hangs around 3 ft to 4 ft, but with moderate breeze at 9 to 12 mph, it’s choppy and lumpy. Not your friend.

Then from July 23rd to July 26th, the swell drops again, staying under 3 ft with periods shortening to 12–13 seconds. Winds stay onshore. Most of this is pure flatness. However, there’s a glimmer on Saturday July 25th afternoon and Sunday July 26th – a long-period SW groundswell (20–21 seconds) pushes the energy up to 906 and 838, with swell hitting 3 ft to 4 ft. Winds are light and onshore. That’s promising for a point or reef, but at a river mouth like Ponto, that long period can make the waves break a bit straight and gutless. Still, if you’re patient, those last two days of the forecast might offer a clean, small window for a cruisy session.

Look, for most of this run, the setup is more interesting for a kite surfer who can handle the wind and small chop than for a traditional paddle surfer. There’s just no solid, clean swell with proper offshore wind.

Hang in there, don’t sell your board. Forecasts change.

Rusty.

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