Porto da Cruz Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at this. The 16-day window for Porto da Cruz is a bit of a long haul for not much reward. For the first thirteen days, from Friday the 7th of August right through to Wednesday the 19th of August, it’s mostly a write-off. The wind is either cross-on or cross-shore on the wrong side, and the swell is tiny or weak. The combined energy of all swells directed here is mostly under 100 (the weakest being 46), meaning there’s just not enough push to get anything worthwhile. You’re looking at a dry spell of nearly two weeks.

Then, things start to look a little more interesting around Thursday the 20th of August. The morning sees a bit of glassy conditions with a light westerly wind, and the swell bumps up to 4ft from the NNE with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 221 (moderate energy). It’s surfable, but the comment says it’s very ordinary. The afternoon of the 20th is where it gets a bit better – glassy conditions, 5ft from the NNE, period of 8 seconds, and a combined energy of 278. The forecast says expect good surf conditions, and that’s the best we have on offer. The morning of Friday the 21st of August is also glassy, with 5ft from the NNE and a period of 8 seconds, and combined energy of 267. That’s a tiny window of clean, glassy surf.

Now, the standout? It’s the afternoon of Thursday the 20th of August. The glassy conditions (light westerly wind, 5 km/h) are a major positive, giving you clean, unbroken faces. The swell is 5ft from the NNE, which is a solid, surfable size, and the period of 8 seconds is short-period but with enough energy (278) to create some shape. This is a reef break, so it will handle the swell well. The water temperature is 76°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you won’t need a thick wetsuit. Crowds are often a factor here, so expect some company.

The morning of Friday the 21st of August is also a good call, with the same glassy setup, but the afternoon turns to a risk of thunderstorms and a cross-shore wind, which will mess things up.

By Saturday the 22nd of August, the swell jumps to 7ft from the N with a period of 9 seconds, but the combined energy rockets to 1143 (very strong energy). That’s a big, powerful swell, but the wind is cross-on and the conditions are described as poor. That’s too big for beginners and only for experts, and the wind won’t do it any favours. It’s a bit of a messy, powerful beast.

So, for the whole 16-day window, the only real standouts are the afternoon of Thursday the 20th and the morning of Friday the 21st of August. Get on it if you can, because the rest of the run is a lot of waiting.

Rusty

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