Porto da Cruz Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for Porto da Cruz over the next couple of weeks.

Gotta be straight with you – this is a tough one. The whole 16-day window is filled with "poor surf conditions" and the wave energy is just not cooperating. There’s not a single standout session in the whole period. The swell is small, the wind is almost always cross-onshore, and the break is fairly exposed but the swell direction never quite lines up for anything decent. It’s a real dry spell.

We start off on Thursday the 6th of August with a tiny 3 ft swell from the north, period around 10 seconds, and the combined energy is a weak 162. The wind is a light cross-onshore from the NNE at 6 mph, keeping things messy. That sets the tone. Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th are similar – tiny 2 ft to 2 ft waves, still cross-onshore, energy dropping as low as 93. Not worth paddling out.

Sunday the 9th gets even smaller, down to 1 ft, and the energy plummets to 51. By Monday the 10th, the swell period drops to 5 seconds – that’s just wind chop, no power. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual there.

The second week doesn’t offer much hope either. Around Friday the 14th, we see a pulse of 4 ft to 5 ft from the ENE, but the period is a short 6 seconds, energy is still moderate (132-176), and the wind is cross-onshore. Saturday the 15th sees the biggest swell of the whole run at 5 ft to 6 ft from the NE, with energy climbing to 307 – still moderate. But it’s still cross-onshore and choppy. That’s not surfable, that’s a washing machine.

The biggest spike comes on Thursday the 20th of August: a 7 ft swell from the NNE, period of 10 seconds, and a strong energy reading of 715. That’s the most powerful we see. But again, the wind is cross-onshore from the north at 9 mph. For a reef break, that’s going to be bumpy and blown out. That size is getting into expert territory, but the conditions won’t do it justice.

So, what’s the call? Nothing is worth chasing. The whole 16 days is a gap. The break is fairly consistent but the conditions are just not lining up. For this area, a blank run like this is normal when the trade winds lock in from the north. For a reef break, you need cleaner offshore or glassy conditions to make the most of it, and we don’t get that once. If you’re desperate, maybe the 20th at 7 ft from the NNE has some raw power, but it’s going to be a battle with the wind. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for a kite session than a paddle.

Keep an eye on the forecasts, things can change. But for now, I’d leave the board in the car.

Rusty.

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