Porto da Cruz Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the menu for the next stretch. Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with ya – the first week or so is looking pretty flat and uninspiring. We’ve got a long dry spell before anything worth paddling out for shows up.

Looking at the charts, the beginning of this run is a bit of a bummer. From Wednesday the 29th right through to about Monday the 5th of August, it’s all small, weak, and onshore. The swell is barely a ripple, with wave energy readings all under 100 (35 to 97). Winds are mostly light but cross-onshore or onshore, so it’s gonna be messy and weak. You’re looking at ankle to knee-high slop at best. Honestly, not worth waxing the board for unless you just wanna bob around.

Then we hit a bit of a lull still, but from Tuesday the 6th through to around Saturday the 9th, there’s a slight pulse but the wind stays mostly cross-onshore, keeping things choppy. The swell stays small, barely 3 ft, and the period is short. The energy figures start climbing though, hitting 133 on Friday the 7th morning and then jumping to a solid 277 by Sunday the 9th morning.

Now here’s where it gets interesting. The standout window opens up starting Sunday, the 9th of August. Porto da Cruz is the only game in town, and it might finally deliver. You’ve got a solid NNE pulse coming in at 4 ft with a 10-second period. That’s groundswell energy, and it’s packing a moderate punch (277). The catch? The wind is a moderate cross-onshore, so it won’t be glassy, but the waves should have some shape and power. The combined energy climbs further, hitting 331 on Tuesday the 11th morning, pushing 6 ft from the NE. That’s getting up there – for beginners, 6 ft is too big, and it’ll be for experienced surfers only. The period drops to 7 seconds for that one, though, making it a bit fat and lumpy. Overall, the best bet looks like Sunday the 9th morning through to perhaps Tuesday the 11th, with the swell peaking. It won’t be perfect, but it’s the only real surf in the whole 16-day outlook. The energy stays strong (264-331) through to the end of the window on the 13th, but again, wind stays cross-onshore. The short period on the bigger days will make it break a bit closeout-y at this reef.

So, to wrap it up: a long, flat, weak start, followed by a promising but not perfect run of moderate to strong swell from the 9th to the 13th. If you’re desperate, wait until the second week. Keep your expectations tempered, but there are waves to be had.

Stay stoked.
Rusty

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