Porto Batel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for Porto Batel over the next couple of weeks.

First off, I gotta be straight with you – the next week or so is looking pretty flat and frustrating. The water temp is sitting right where it should be for this time of year, nothing unusual there. But we’ve got a long stretch of poor surf conditions, with small, weak, short-period windswell. The combined energy is low, barely cracking 125 (moderate) on the first day and then dropping into the 50-90 range, which is just weak. The wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, adding a bit of chop. Honestly, if you’re keen for a paddle, you might be better off on a kiteboard here, because the surf is just not cooperating for a traditional ride.

That blank run stretches from the 20th of July all the way through the 27th. There’s barely a ripple worth mentioning.

Then, things start to change. The first real sign of life shows up on the morning of Monday, the 28th of July. The wind swings offshore, light and clean from the NNE, and we see a bump in swell – 6ft from the NNW. The combined energy jumps to 466 (moderate), which is a big step up. The period is a bit short at 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit bumpy and lack that punch, but after a week of nothing, a clean, offshore wave is a welcome sight. This is a standout for the pure novelty of having something to surf.

The afternoon of the 28th gets even better for the more experienced crew. The swell builds to 7ft from the NNW, with energy climbing to 539 (moderate). The wind is cross-offshore, the waves are clean. This is the best on offer in the whole forecast. It’s getting big, but not huge, so strong intermediates can handle it, though it’s on the edge for beginners.

The 29th of July (Wednesday) sees the swell peak. The morning shows 8ft from the NNW, with a massive energy reading of 1107 (strong). That’s a lot of water moving. The problem is the wind swings onshore from the SSW, making it a messy, choppy beast. That kind of size and chop is only for experts. It’s a powerful but junky wave. The afternoon stays big but the wind gets worse. The 30th and 31st are similar – solid 7ft swell, but with cross-onshore wind, making it choppy and hard to manage. The energy stays high, between 500 and 700, but the quality is poor.

The first few days of August slip back into the same pattern – a mix of cross-offshore wind and clean waves, but the swell is either too small or too big and messy. The 3rd and 4th of August show some serious size again, 8ft to 10ft, with strong energy (797 to 1302), but it’s a long way out and the wind is still cross-offshore. That’s a long-range promise, so keep an eye on it, but don’t book the day off yet.

The standout call: If you’ve been waiting for a clean wave, get on the Monday the 28th of July. The morning has the offshore wind and a manageable 6ft NNW swell. The afternoon is the best of the bunch for the bigger wave riders – 7ft, clean, cross-offshore. After that, it’s mostly big, windy, and choppy.

Rusty.

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