Portao Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Portao over the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, this is a pretty grim stretch. The entire 16-day run is basically a write-off. There’s no proper surf window to get excited about. The waves are small, the wind is mostly cross or cross-off, and the quality just isn’t there. The first real chance of anything even slightly rideable doesn’t show up until Friday the 24th, and even then it’s a marginal call.

Let’s break it down. From now through to the 24th, the swell is generally weak. On Wednesday the 15th, we’re looking at a weak 4ft easterly swell with a short period of 5 seconds and a combined energy of just 100 – that’s barely a bump. The wind is a cross-shore 12 mph, creating a cross-chop that’s messy. It’s not surfable.

Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th are even smaller. Thursday morning has a tiny 1ft NNE swell with a period of 8 seconds, but the wind is cross-off at 16 mph, so it’s clean. Still, it’s ankle-deep. The energy is only 21. Friday morning is a joke – 0.7ft from the north, 10-second period, but still only 14 energy. Afternoons pick up a little to 5ft – 5ft, but the period is 6-7 seconds, so it’s all windswell chop. Not worth paddling out.

This pattern of small, short-period, cross-shore slop continues all the way through to the 24th. The combined energy hovers between 100 and 275, which is weak to moderate, but the swell quality is poor. The 19th and 20th have some 5ft – 6ft east swell, but with a 7-second period and cross winds, it’s just a messy, crumbly wave.

The only glimmer of hope is on Friday the 24th, in the morning. The swell picks up to 6ft from the east, with a 7-second period and a combined energy of 275. The wind is a gentle 9 mph cross-off from the southeast, which keeps it clean. The data says it’s “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions,” so it’s a long shot. That’s the only thing even close to a recommendation. But for a beginner, 6ft might be a bit much, and the short period means it’ll be a bit lumpy. It’s a maybe, not a go.

After that, it trails off quickly. The 25th to the 30th sees the swell drop back to 3ft – 4ft, with periods of 5-6 seconds and energy dropping from 152 down to 50. The wind stays cross or cross-off, but it’s just too small to do anything with.

The water temperature is around 82°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year – the anomaly is 1°F, so nothing unusual there.

Honestly, Portao is a reef/pier setup that’s very consistent, but this forecast is a dead zone. We’ve got a solid 10-day gap with no recommendable surf, and then just a single marginal morning. It’s one of those blank runs that happens. Forecasts can change, but right now, leave the board at home. If you’re a kite surfer, the 5ft – 6ft afternoons with cross-shore wind might be more interesting, but for paddling, it’s a no-go.

Rusty.

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