Porto da Cruz Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for Porto da Cruz. We’ve got a real dry spell on our hands. From now all the way through to August 23rd, the surf is basically a no-go. That’s a solid week of nothing worth paddling out for, with the wind almost always messing things up.

The main issue is that persistent northerly wind. It’s blowing cross-onshore or onshore for most of the period, keeping the surface choppy and messy. The swell that *is* there is short-period windswell, mostly under 8 seconds, so it doesn’t have any punch. The combined wave energy is weak to moderate for the most part (values in the hundreds), nothing that gets the heart pumping.

Now, after that long wait, we finally get a little window. The morning of Sunday, August 23rd is the one true standout of this entire outlook. The wind is due to go glassy, swinging light off the WSW, and the swell bumps up to 2.6ft from the north with a better 10-second period. It’s not big, but it’ll be clean, with a combined energy of 196 – modest, but workable. The water temp is sitting at 77°F, which is about a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. That afternoon stays clean too with a light cross-offshore breeze.

But here’s the catch. Porto da Cruz is a reef break that only breaks *fairly consistently* and can be inconsistent. It’s also one that sees crowds *often*, so if you’re heading there for that Sunday session, expect some company, especially for such a rare clean day. The swell direction from the north is right in its optimum zone, but with the wave height just 2.6ft, it’s going to be small and probably best for a longboard or a funboard.

After that brief highlight, it’s back to the same old story for the last week of August and into September. More onshore northerly wind, short-period, poor surf. There’s a bit more swell energy showing around the 28th and 31st (hitting 500-575), but with howling onshore winds, it’s just going to be a messy, blown-out wall of whitewater. Honestly, with the constant chop and the beach/reef setup, this entire stretch looks more interesting for a kite than a paddle.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off. Your best bet is that Sunday the 23rd. It won't be epic, but it'll be the only clean wave in town. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a waiting game.

Read more