Porto da Cruz Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for Porto da Cruz.

To be straight with you, the next 16 days are a tough watch. The first few days have some tiny, weak swell, but the conditions are so poor that I wouldn’t even bother paddling out. The real problem is that from the start on Monday 13 July through to the end of the outlook, the wind is never truly offshore for this spot. It’s either glassy with hardly any swell, or it’s cross-onshore and choppy. There’s a big gap of nothing worthwhile from the very beginning, with only a few moments that might be worth a look if you’re desperate.

The Only Glimmer:

The best of a bad bunch is actually the very first session. On Monday 13 July, the morning is a proper standout. We’ve got clear skies, glassy conditions with 0 mph wind, and a little 2.6 ft swell from the NNW (8 second period). The combined energy is weak (78), but with clean, calm conditions, those tiny waves would be rideable on a longboard. The water is sitting at 73.4°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year. In the afternoon, it stays glassy with a light 5 mph NW breeze, but the swell is the same. It’s not going to be epic, but for Porto da Cruz, a glassy morning with any surf at all is the best we’ll see.

After Monday, everything goes south. The swell drops to 2.0 ft or less, the wind turns onshore from the SSE and SE, and the energy levels are pathetic. By the weekend, we get some more size, but it’s all short-period windswell from the NE with a cross-onshore wind from the NNE. The swell height climbs to 5.2 ft by Saturday 25 July, but the combined energy is moderate (199) and the wind is making it a choppy, messy mess. This is a beach-and-reef setup, and with that much wind and weak swell, it’s honestly looking more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.

The very end of the outlook, around Tuesday 28 July, sees the biggest swell of the run – 5.9 ft from the NE (7 seconds) with moderate energy (330). But again, the wind is cross-onshore from the NNE, making it poor quality. For a beginner, those 5.9 ft waves are on the edge of being too big, and with the chop, it’s not a safe or fun session.

So, look. The only day I’d even consider is the first Monday morning for a clean, tiny glass-off. The rest of the fortnight is a write-off for good waves. The spot is fairly consistent, but with this wind pattern, it’s just not our time. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a long wait.

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