Ponto Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a good, hard look at what’s coming our way for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be honest with you – it’s a grim start. The first few days are looking pretty flat and messy, with not much to get excited about. The water is a whopping 75°, which is 7° warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s seriously unusual, so don’t expect the usual chilly autumn feel.

The first real whiff of action comes on Saturday, September 6th up at Ponto. It’s a river mouth setup, fairly consistent, and exposed to the SW swell. On Saturday morning we’ll see a 6ft S swell, with a period of 14 seconds, pushing through. That’s a solid groundswell, and the energy is looking strong (combined energy of 1332). The wind is a light 9 mph N breeze, which is cross-offshore, so the morning should be clean. This is the best on offer for the whole run, but it’s not perfect. The cross-offshore wind will keep the surface tidy, and the long period will give you proper, grunty waves. It’s a bit much for the absolute beginners at 6ft, but it’s manageable for anyone with a bit of experience. Keep in mind, this spot gets crowded often, so expect plenty of company.

As we roll into Sunday afternoon, the swell bumps up to 6ft SSW, but the wind swings to a 9 mph WNW cross-onshore, making things a bit lumpy. It’s still surfable, but the clean morning window is the one to target.

By Monday, the swell is still there, 7ft to 7ft, but the wind is getting stronger and more onshore, so the quality is dropping off fast. That’s more of a meaty, choppy, expert-only situation if you’re brave.

After Tuesday, the whole thing just fades into a long, flat spell. From about Wednesday, September 10th, right through to the end of the forecast window, we’re looking at tiny, weak swell with poor conditions. The combined energy drops to the low hundreds and even double digits, with swell heights barely hitting 2ft to 3ft. It’s a real bummer – a solid week of nothing worthwhile. The wind is light and mostly onshore or cross-onshore, so you’d be better off doing something else.

There’s a faint glimmer way out on Friday, September 19th, with a 3ft SW groundswell and a very long 20-second period, but the light rain and cross-onshore wind won’t do it any favours. It’s a long-shot hope, but don’t bank on it.

So, to sum it up: your only real window is the Saturday morning, September 6th, at Ponto. Get out there early, expect a crowd, and enjoy that clean, long-period groundswell while it lasts. The rest is a write-off.

Rusty.

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