Ponto Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s happening at Ponto.

First thing you need to know: the water is way warmer than usual for this time of year. We’re talking about 5° above normal, so it’s gonna feel like a bathtub out there. That’s a weird one.

Now, for the surf itself... look, I’m gonna be straight with you. It’s a tough stretch ahead. The whole 16-day window is pretty much a bust. We’ve got a lot of days with no real surf to speak of, and the first recommendation doesn’t even show up until Monday, August 3rd, and even then it’s a quiet start.

The overall pattern is small, weak, and mostly messy. The swell is coming from the SW and SSW, which is the right direction for Ponto (a river mouth that’s exposed to the SW), but the size is tiny – just 2 ft to 3 ft at best. The periods are all over the place, from 13 seconds up to 19 seconds, which is long period groundswell. That’s good for shape, but with this little height, it’s going to be weak and gutless. The combined energy readings are mostly in the moderate range (119 to 577), and for the most part, the wave comment is “poor surf conditions.”

The wind is a big problem. For the first few days, it’s onshore or cross-onshore from the WSW and SW, blowing at 9 mph. That’s a gentle breeze, but it’s enough to mess up the surface. On Thursday, August 6th, it turns cross-onshore and stays that way for a lot of the run, with that “gentle cross-onshore and fairly choppy” note. That’s not what you want.

The best of a bad bunch comes on Friday, August 14th, in the afternoon. The swell is still only 2 ft from the SSW, but the period is 18 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 545 (moderate). The wind is onshore from the WSW at 9 mph, so it’s clean, but it’s marginal. The wave comment upgrades to “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions.” That’s the closest we get to a standout. Saturday, August 15th, morning also has a glimmer – 3 ft from the SSW, 16 seconds, and light cross-onshore wind from the W at 6 mph. The energy is 577. But again, it’s marginal.

For a beginner spot like Ponto (rated for beginners), anything over 5 ft is too big, and we never get there, so no worries there. But the lack of quality and the persistent onshore wind mean it’s not really worth paddling out for. The surf is too small and too choppy to be fun. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, with that consistent cross-onshore wind and small, weak swell.

Because the break is “fairly consistent,” I’m a bit optimistic – it doesn’t tend to stay this poor for long, and forecasts can change. But right now, it’s a long blank run with very few windows. Don’t get your hopes up.

Rusty.

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