
Surf Forecasts:
Porto da Cruz surf forecast from 10 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 9s period, NNE swell with 454 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Porto da Cruz this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Porto da Cruz in the next 16 days are 1.7m 9s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 17s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Porto da Cruz over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. I’ve had a proper look at what’s on the table for Porto da Cruz over the next couple of weeks, and I’ve got to be straight with you—it’s going to be a tough run. This is a reef set-up that’s fairly exposed to the north, but the whole 16-day window is filled with nothing but poor surf conditions. There’s no standout session, no hidden gem, just a long stretch of choppy, cross-onshore junk.
Let’s start at the beginning. From Monday the 10th of August through to the end of the window, the story is the same: the swell is tiny, the wind is a problem, and the wave comment doesn’t sugar-coat it. The first few days—Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th—bring tiny swell around 1 ft to 3 ft from the north or north-northwest, with periods mostly around 8 seconds. The wind is a light to gentle cross-onshore, which just messes up what little wave there is. The combined energy is weak, sitting between 56 and 94, and the water temperature is about 77°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s small comfort when there’s nothing to surf.
Moving into the middle of the week, Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th, the swell stays pathetic—1 ft to 3 ft—with periods dropping to 5 or 6 seconds at times. The wind holds steady from the north or north-northeast at 9 mph, cross-onshore and choppy. Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th see the swell bump up a little, hitting 4 ft to 4 ft from the northeast, period still short at 6 seconds. The combined energy climbs into the moderate range (147 to 204), but the wind stiffens to a moderate breeze at 12 mph, cross-onshore and choppy. It’s not surfable—it’s messy, lumpy, and the reef isn’t going to save it.
Sunday the 16th of August and Monday the 17th are as close as this forecast gets to something bigger, with swell reaching 5 ft to 6 ft from the north-northeast, period stretching to 8 or 9 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 290 to 449, so there’s some power there. But every single session is written off as poor surf conditions. The wind is a moderate cross-onshore or cross-shore breeze at 9 to 12 mph, kicking up chop and cross-chop. For a reef break, this is ugly—you’re paddling into a washing machine. That said, if you’re a kite surfer, this setup with moderate wind and a bit of swell might look more interesting than it does for a paddle surfer.
Tuesday the 18th of August through to the end of the second week, things just fade away. The swell drops from 5 ft on the Tuesday morning back down to 1 ft by Sunday the 23rd. Periods are all over the place—9 seconds early on, then back to 7 or 8 seconds, with a brief 11-second pulse on Tuesday the 25th that bumps the energy to 112 to 172. But the wind never lets up—always cross-onshore or cross-shore, light to moderate, and every session is marked poor. The reef rarely gets a clean look, and with crowds listed as "often," you’d be sharing the mess with others.
There are no true standouts here. Nothing worth chasing. The whole 16-day window is one long gap of poor conditions. Porto da Cruz is a fairly consistent spot, so a blank run like this is a bit unusual, but it happens. Forecasts can change, but right now, there’s nothing to get excited about.
Stay patient, keep an eye on the charts, and I’ll catch you next time.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Wed morning, min 19°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Fri morning, min 21°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | NNW 13 | NNW 12 | NNW 11 | NNW 11 | NNW 10 | NW 9 | ENE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
88 | 64 | 44 | 29 | 34 | 50 | 42 | 40 | 34 | 23 | 45 | 83 | 112 | 130 | 103 | 106 | 116 | 143 | 270 | 376 | 321 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 12:57PM2.04m | 1:30AM1.96m | 1:49PM2.22m | 2:18AM2.08m | 2:35PM2.36m | 3:02AM2.15m | 3:17PM2.43m | 3:43AM2.17m | 3:58PM2.42m | 4:22AM2.14m | 4:37PM2.34m | 5:00AM2.07m | 5:16PM2.19m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:20PM0.21m | 7:33AM0.24m | 8:09PM0.06m | 8:19AM0.12m | 8:54PM-0.04m | 9:01AM0.05m | 9:36PM-0.08m | 9:42AM0.03m | 10:14PM-0.04m | 10:20AM0.07m | 10:51PM0.05m | 10:58AM0.16m | 11:27PM0.19m | ||||||||
7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | |
— | 8:58 | — | — | 8:57 | — | — | 8:55 | — | — | 8:54 | — | — | 8:53 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:51 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 24 | 20 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 26 | 26 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 22 |
Feels °C | 24 | 24 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 21 | 25 | 26 | 23 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 12 | NNW 11 | NNW 11 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 11 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 11 | NW 10 | NNW 9 | NE 6 | NNW 9 | NW 9 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 |
88 | 64 | 44 | 29 | 18 | 50 | 42 | 40 | 21 | 21 | 31 | 49 | 31 | 57 | 48 | 35 | 116 | 70 | 20 | 376 | 321 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 4 | ENE 5 | ENE 4 | NNW 14 | NNW 13 | N 7 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NNW 10 | N 10 | N 10 | N 11 | N 10 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | NNW 10 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 |
6 | 4 | 4 | 20 | 34 | 8 | 22 | 22 | 34 | 17 | 16 | 21 | 31 | 17 | 6 | 6 | 37 | 30 | 51 | 58 | 89 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | WNW 10 | ENE 4 | WNW 9 | ENE 4 | ENE 5 | S 15 | NNW 12 | WNW 8 | S 13 | NNW 11 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | NW 8 |
11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 16 | 3 | 8 | 38 | 14 | 7 | 31 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 31 | 30 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 16 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | ENE 4 | — | NE 4 | — | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | — | NE 7 | NNE 8 | — | — |
— | — | — | 4 | — | 5 | — | 9 | 13 | 23 | 45 | 83 | 112 | 130 | 103 | 106 | — | 143 | 270 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 28 | 28 | 16 | 16 | 22 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 22 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 16 | 16 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Madeira | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Portugal | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Porto da Cruz Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Porto da Cruz provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Porto da Cruz can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Porto da Cruz surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Porto da Cruz) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Porto da Cruz may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Porto da Cruz is 14 km (9 miles) from Funchal. If you plan a holiday in Madeira, look for hotels and other accommodation in Funchal. Funchal has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











