Porto Batel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks around Porto Batel. The water’s sitting at 66°F which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so definitely grab a thicker suit if you’re heading out.

The good news is there’s some swell knocking about, but it’s not a constant run of clean waves. There’s a proper gap at the start with no real surf to speak of. Most of the action is waiting until the second week. The standout window is late in the run, with a promise of some solid, punchy groundswell.

The first real sniff of action comes on Monday morning, August 17th. It’s small but clean with a light offshore breeze from the NE. The swell is 6ft from the NNW, but it’s a short 8-second period, so lumpy rather than lined up. The energy is moderate (382). Nothing to get too excited about, but it’s a start.

Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning are similar, but by Tuesday afternoon things go onshore and messy. Expect a few days of poor surf from Tuesday across to Thursday, with cross-onshore winds and small, weak swell dropping to 2ft.

Thursday morning, August 20th, offers a tiny glimmer with a 2ft WNW swell and a cleaner cross-offshore breeze, but wave energy is weak (94). It’s surfable but very ordinary.

The real talking point is Friday, August 21st. The swell jumps to 7ft from the NNW, still short-period, but the wind is cross-offshore and clean. The energy is strong (814). It’s a bit on the bigger side for beginners and conditions are a little marginal due to tide, but for the experienced crew, this is where it gets interesting. That trend continues into Saturday morning with 6ft and clean conditions.

From Saturday afternoon through to the end of the first week, the wind goes more cross-shore, and the surf quality drops off. Still some size around 5–6ft, but the chop makes it less appealing.

Now, the second week is where it heats up. The standout is Saturday, August 29th. Swell builds to 8ft on the morning and 10ft by the afternoon from the NNW, with a longer 11–13 second period. That’s a proper groundswell. The energy is very strong (1535 in the morning, 3022 in the afternoon). This is only for experts at that size, but the wind is offshore and the waves will have serious power. Porto Batel is a point break, so it will handle that long-period swell well. Keep in mind, this is a long-range call, so it’s promising but not locked in.

Sunday, August 30th, still holds good size at 8ft and 7ft, with 11-second periods and strong energy (1390, 1061). Clean and strong.

The final days of the forecast fade a little, with Monday September 1st offering 5–6ft and moderate energy, but the wind is backing off. It’s still surfable, especially if you’re after a less crowded session mid-week.

In short, the first week is a slow burner with a few clean windows but nothing epic. The second week, especially August 29th and 30th, is the real deal. Big swell, clean offshore winds, and a point break that’ll handle it. Mark your calendar.

Rusty

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