Porto da Cruz Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – the outlook for Porto da Cruz over the next 16 days is a bit of a letdown. We’ve got a big pulse of swell due in, but the wind is going to be a stubborn problem, making it hard to find a clean window. Let’s break it down.

We start off on Sunday, the 23rd of August, with a solid 8ft swell from the NNW, carrying a lot of energy. The period is a nice 13 seconds, so there’s some proper groundswell in the water. The problem is the wind is a cross-shore NW breeze around 9 to 12 mph, which is going to put a chop on the surface. It’s surfable, but it’s not going to be the clean, lined-up sets you’d hope for with that size. The water is a touch warmer than usual at 77°, which is nice.

The combo of that big swell and the worsening wind makes it look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on Sunday. The wave energy is massive, but the quality is marginal.

Monday the 24th sees the swell drop a little to 6ft, still from the NNW with a decent 11-second period, but the cross-shore wind sticks around. The energy is still moderate. It’s a similar story through the rest of the week into the weekend. We’ve got some clean, glassy conditions on Wednesday the 26th morning with a 3ft swell, but it’s just too small to get excited about. The rest of the time, it’s mostly cross-onshore winds and choppy conditions, with the swell size bouncing around but never really lining up with good wind.

From the 28th of August onwards, the wind turns more onshore and the swell gets a bit bumpy. The poor conditions dominate the forecast, with the swell period dropping and the energy staying moderate. There’s a stretch from the end of August into early September where it’s looking pretty flat and messy.

The best bet in this whole period is a true standout, but it’s a long way off. On Monday the 7th of September, a very long period groundswell of 14 seconds from the N rolls in, right out of the optimum direction for this spot. The swell is only 3ft, but the energy jumps right up. The forecast shows a clean, clear sky, but the wind is a moderate cross-onshore at 12 mph. For a reef break like Porto da Cruz, that long period could be a bit of a caveat, making it break a bit straight, but with that size and a good swell direction, it’s the most promising moment we’ve got. It’s a long way out, so treat it as a promising possibility, not a certainty.

Overall, it’s a frustrating run. The swell is there, but the wind just won’t cooperate. Keep an eye on that Monday the 7th, and otherwise, hope the forecasts change.

Rusty.

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