Porto da Cruz Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Porto da Cruz over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – the outlook is pretty grim for the first week and a half. There’s no real surf to get excited about until we get into the second week. The water temperature is sitting at 77°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t be freezing.

We start with Wednesday the 9th of September and right through to Sunday the 13th, it’s a write-off. The swell’s small, the wind is cross-on from the north at 9–12 mph, and it’s all just messy and choppy. Swell heights hover around 2 ft to 7 ft, but with a short period around 5–8 seconds, there’s no push in the water. The combined energy kicks up to 594 by Sunday morning, but it’s not helping – it’s just messy energy, not the kind that makes good waves. The winds are cross-on, so forget about clean faces.

Monday the 14th through to Thursday the 17th still ain’t great. Swell drops right back, and winds shift to a lighter easterly breeze, but the swell is tiny – 3 ft to 5 ft – and the period’s short. The combined energy stays in the low to mid hundreds, and the comments say “marginal” or “poor” the whole way. It’s just not worth paddling out for.

Friday the 18th and Saturday the 19th see a little more size – 5 ft to 6 ft – but the wind stays cross-on from the north and northeast at 9–12 mph. The combined energy is climbing into the 400s and 500s, but it’s still messy. No clean lines, no real standouts.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. On Sunday the 20th, swell picks up to 7 ft from the NE with an 8-second period, and the combined energy is 509. The wind is light from the north at only 3 mph, which makes for nearly glassy conditions. That’s the first real glimmer of hope, but even then, it’s rated “marginal” – so don’t expect perfection.

The real standout comes on Monday the 21st of September. Swell is 4 ft but it’s coming from the NNW with a long period of 14 seconds – that’s proper groundswell. The combined energy is a strong 971, which tells you there’s some serious power moving through. Winds are super light from the NNE at 3 mph in the morning, so you’ll get clean, lined-up sets. The optimum swell direction is from the north, and this NNW swell is close enough to be good at Porto da Cruz. This is your best bet of the entire 16-day window. It’s a reef break, so that long period will wrap in nicely. Keep in mind it can be inconsistent here, so you might have to be patient between sets, but when they come, they’ll be worth the wait. Tuesday the 22nd still has some lingering swell from the NNW with a 12-second period and combined energy of 410, but it’s smaller and winds are light cross-on, so still rideable but not as good.

After that, Wednesday the 23rd through Thursday the 24th fades out again – 3 ft to 4 ft, short period, light cross-on winds. Not worth the effort.

So to wrap it up: for the next week and a half, it’s flat or messy. Don’t bother. But mark your calendar for Monday the 21st of September – that’s the day to get out there. Clean, long-period groundswell from the NNW with light winds. It’s the only true standout in the whole forecast.

Rusty.

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