Porto da Cruz Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, it’s your boy Rusty here, and I’ve got to be straight with you – the outlook for Porto da Cruz over the next 16 days is a tough one. We’re looking at a real dry spell for most of the period, with a lot of days where the conditions just aren’t cooperating. The biggest issue is the wind; it’s stuck in a cross-onshore pattern from the north or north-northeast for days on end, which is messing up what little swell we get.

Let’s start with the first week. We kick off on Monday, 27th July, with some swell around 4 feet from the NE, but that cross-onshore breeze at 9 mph is chopping it up. The water here is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 75°, which is a nice little bonus if you’re in the water, but it doesn’t help the surf. The energy is moderate (135), but the wave comment says it all – poor surf conditions. This pattern continues right through the week. Tuesday the 28th has a bit of swell, but with light cross-onshore winds, it’s small and messy. Wednesday and Thursday the swell drops right off, dipping to 1 foot to 2 feet – barely anything to ride. By Friday, 31st July, we see a slight bump back up to 4 feet, but the wind is still cross-onshore, and the period is short at 5-6 seconds, so it’s just weak, lumpy stuff.

We hit a bit of a lull over the weekend of 1st and 2nd August. The swell is around 3 feet to 4 feet, and the wind does shift to onshore, which is a little better, but the period stays short, and the energy is moderate (151). The surf is still unrideable. Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th are tiny again, with swell under 3 feet and cross-onshore winds. It’s a real struggle.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting, but frustrating. From Thursday, 6th August, we start to see a proper pulse of swell building. Thursday morning has 5 feet from the ENE, and the energy jumps to 297 – that’s moderate wave energy. By Thursday afternoon, it’s 6 feet and the energy is up to 376. The wind is still cross-onshore though, from the NNE at 9 mph, and that’s keeping it poor. Friday, 7th August, sees the swell push to 6 feet from the NE, with energy at 357, but again, the wind is cross-onshore. This is a real shame because the swell is getting some size, but the quality is just not there.

The nearest we get to a glimmer of hope is Saturday, 8th August. The morning shows 5 feet from the NE with a period of 8 seconds, and the energy is strong at 390. The wind is light from the north at 6 mph, only cross-onshore, but it’s light. The wave comment calls it “marginal,” which is the best we see. The swell direction is from the NE, but the optimum for Porto da Cruz is from the N, so it’s not quite aligned. The afternoon has 6 feet and a period of 9 seconds, with strong energy at 597, but the wind picks up to 9 mph cross-onshore, ruining it again. This is the closest we get to a standout, but it’s still not a green light.

After that, Sunday, 9th August, through to Tuesday, 11th August, the swell holds around 5 feet to 7 feet from the NNE, with moderate to strong energy, but the wind ramps up to 12-16 mph from the north, staying cross-onshore. That’s just too much chop for it to be any good. For beginners, the swell is over 5 feet from the 7th onwards, so it’s already too big, and by the 11th it’s over 8 feet, which is expert-only territory, but with the wind, it’s a mess.

In short, there are no good surf options in this 16-day window. The northeast swell is there, but the wind is just relentless. For a reef break like Porto da Cruz, that cross-onshore flow is a killer. The consistency is fairly consistent, but the quality is poor. If you’re a kite surfer, that 7 feet swell with a strong cross-onshore wind on the 11th might look more interesting than a paddle session. For now, we’re in a blank run. It’s frustrating, but it happens here. The forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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