Ponto Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' at Ponto for the next couple of weeks.

The good news is, we’ve got surf on the table almost every day, but you’re gonna have to work for it. We’re staring down the barrel of a long, drawn-out run of waves that are mostly on the small side, with conditions that are just never quite perfect. The real standout moment is still over a week away, so patience is the name of the game.

Right now, we’re kicking off on August 27th with some weak, marginal energy. Swell is coming in from the South at around 4 ft on Thursday morning, but it’s getting chopped up by a cross-onshore wind. Thursday afternoon gets messy and flat. Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th are similar story: small 2 ft to 4 ft SSW swell, but it’s blown out by onshore or cross-onshore breezes. The combined energy during this stretch sits at a moderate 434 to 799, which tells you straight up it’s not packing much punch. This is the kind of stuff you go out for a paddle, not a proper session.

We get a little glimmer of hope on Tuesday, September 1st. It’s the first morning of the whole outlook where the wind actually drops out, going glassy. The swell holds at a modest 4 ft to 4 ft from the South, with a period around 11-12 seconds. The combined energy is a moderate 419-442. It’s clean, it’s small, it’s workable, but don’t expect anything world-beating. Wednesday the 2nd, the wind turns cross-onshore again and gets heavier in the afternoon, so that window closes fast.

Then we hit the real spice in the pack: Thursday, September 3rd. There’s a pulse of bigger SSW swell bumping up to 7 ft with a 13-second period. The combined energy jumps right up to a strong 1496-1625, so there’s plenty of water moving. Now, here’s the catch – the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, which is a real shame. It’s going to be lumpy and bumpy, with poor surf conditions in the afternoon. This swell is right on the edge of being too big for beginners, and with the wind on it, it’s really only going to appeal to guys who can handle a bit of chop and a punchy wave.

After that pulse, it settles down again. Friday the 4th to Monday the 7th sees the swell drop back to 3 ft to 4 ft, mostly onshore wind. Then, hold onto your boardies for Sunday, September 6th. That morning we get another glass-off. The swell is only 3 ft from the SSW, but the period is a very long 15 seconds. This is proper groundswell energy, but with that kind of long period, it can tend to break a bit straight on a beach break like Ponto. Still, combined wave energy is moderate at 532 and the wind is dead flat – glassy. This is the other clear standout of the outlook. It’s small but clean, and on a river mouth like this, that long period should groom the banks nicely.

The last few days from September 8th onward are just windy, small leftovers. It’s a long stretch of clean waves on that 1st and then the 6th of September, but you gotta sift through a lot of average days to get there.

Conditions are consistently a bit tricky, so it’s not a time for beginners unless it’s those glassy windows. For the experienced crew, that September 6th morning is the real sleeper hit – just watch for that long period making the wave a bit straight at times.

Rusty.

Read more