Porto da Cruz Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab a coffee, mate. Rusty here. Let’s get stuck into what’s on offer for Porto da Cruz.

Alright, it’s a bit of a tough stretch ahead for this spot. Porto da Cruz is a reef break, and it’s fairly consistent, but the wind and swell direction just aren’t lining up to give us much of a show. The water is running about average for this time of year, nothing to write home about.

We kick off on Wednesday, the 26th of August. The early morning brings a tiny 3ft swell from the north, but it’s a short period (8 seconds) and a cross-onshore breeze is ruining it. The wave energy is weak (74) and the report says "poor surf conditions" – I’m not going to argue.

The pattern doesn’t change much through Thursday and Friday. We see a bit more size on Friday the 28th, with the swell hitting 6ft from the north, and the period stretches to 10 seconds. That’s a bit more push, but the wind is still blowing cross-onshore at 12 mph, making it choppy. The wave energy jumps up to 1088-1239, which is moderate, but it’s a messy package. That’s more a kite-surfing setup than a clean paddle session.

Saturday the 29th still has a cross-onshore wind, but the swell drops to 4ft. The afternoon sees a little more energy (332) but it’s still not good. The entire first week is a write-off with that constant onshore or cross-onshore wind.

We slide into a long stretch of mediocrity. From Sunday the 30th of August right through to the 4th of September, it’s the same story: small, short-period northerly swells, cross-onshore breezes, and "poor surf conditions". The wave energy is mostly under 200, which is weak. There’s nothing to get excited about here.

The cooler weather pattern continues into the second week. The 5th and 6th of September have a tiny 3ft to 3ft swell, period as low as 6 seconds, with a light onshore wind. It’s flat and weak.

The 7th and 8th of September show a slight uptick. The swell sits at 5ft to 5ft from the northeast, with a 7-second period, but the wind is still cross-onshore (9-12 mph). The energy is moderate (290-324), but the wind keeps it lumpy. It’s still not a surfing day.

Finally, on the 9th and 10th of September, we see a tiny improvement. The wind drops to light and switches to a cross-shore direction. On the 9th, it’s a 4ft NE swell with a 7-second period and a light cross-shore breeze. The wave energy is 223. On the 10th, the swell is only 3ft, but the period jumps to 10 seconds from the north, and the energy is 248. The wind is a light cross-shore. This is the best the whole window has to offer, but it’s still a marginal, small wave day. Not a standout, just the least bad option.

Honestly, if you want to paddle out this fortnight, you’re looking for a window that isn’t there. The wind is the killer. It’s a consistent reef, so it’s not a total dead zone, but this forecast is a blank run. The lack of any decent score tells you everything.

Rusty

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