Porto Batel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what Porto Batel has got cooking for us over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, I gotta be straight with you – the next week and a half is looking pretty flat and sad. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing special from Sunday the 5th right through to Saturday the 18th. There’s just no energy to speak of, with combined swell energy values barely ticking into double digits most days, mostly hanging around the 15 to 70 mark (weak energy). You’ll see little waist-high dribbles of 0.7ft to 2ft, mostly out of the northwest or west-northwest, with short periods of 8 to 10 seconds. The wind stays cross-off from the north or NNW, so the water will look clean, but there’s simply no push. It’s the kind of setup where you’re better off leaving the board on the rack unless you’re desperate for a paddle. The water temp is sitting at 65°F, which is just about average for this time of year – nothing unusual there.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. After that long dry spell, things finally wake up. The standout window is Monday the 13th. Monday morning at Porto Batel is your best bet. We’ve got a solid 4ft swell from the north-northwest, with enough period (8 seconds) to push through. The energy jumps up to 252 (moderate), and the wind is a nice clean cross-off from the north at 9 mph – that’ll keep the faces smooth and lined up. It’s a point break, exposed to west swell, so this north-northwest direction is a good match. It’s fairly consistent here, so you should get enough waves. Just keep an eye out – crowds are sometimes around, so you might have to share.

After that, it drops off again. The rest of that week and into the weekend is back to small, weak junk.

Then, hang onto your board, because Sunday the 19th and Monday the 20th bring a serious shift. Sunday morning, the swell jumps to 8ft from the north-northwest with a short period (7 seconds), and combined energy hits 516 (strong). The problem? The wind turns onshore from the southwest – that’s onshore junk. At 8ft it’s already getting big for beginners, and with onshore wind, expect messy, blown-out conditions. This setup looks way more interesting for the kite surfers than for paddle surfing.

By Monday the 20th, it gets even bigger – 12ft from the north, period 9 seconds, and the energy readings are 1755 and 1760 (very strong). That’s expert-only territory. The wind is cross-shore from the northwest, which might clean it up a little, but 12ft on a point break with northerly swell can be a beast. This is for experienced surfers only – dangerous for anyone else.

So bottom line: Your window is Monday morning the 13th – 4ft, clean cross-off wind, at Porto Batel. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. The big stuff on the 19th and 20th is more of a spectacle than a surf session for most of us.

Stay safe, and read the ocean before you paddle out.

Rusty

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