Praia Tenório Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then. Let’s have a proper look at what’s ahead for Praia Tenório. To be honest with you, the first week and a half is a bit of a flat, glassy struggle. We’ve got a solid stretch from Sunday the 16th all the way through to Friday the 21st where there’s barely a ripple worth paddling for – a real quiet patch. It’s not until Saturday the 22nd that the ocean starts to show a bit of life again.

That Saturday morning, the 22nd, we finally get some proper swell arriving. Straight away you’re looking at a south swell of 4 ft with a 9-second period, and the water is dead flat calm – glassy as, with barely a breath of wind. The combined energy is moderate at 241, and it will be surfable, but the wave quality is only ordinary. It’s a small start, but it’s the kick-off after a long dry spell.

Then we get a bit of a puzzling run from the 23rd to the 25th. The swell size ticks up to 4 ft, 5 ft, and even hits 6 ft on Monday the 24th afternoon with a very long period of 16 seconds – that’s a groundswell, no mistake. The combined energy skyrockets to 1498, which is strong. However, the wind is a mess: rain squalls, cross-onshore breezes, and moderate chop. That long-period swell at a beach-and-reef setup like Praia Tenório can end up breaking too straight and fat, and with the wind spoiling the surface, it's not a clean ride. This whole run looks more like a kiter’s playground than a surfer’s dream.

The only real standout in the whole window is actually the very first morning we’ve got – Saturday the 15th of August, in the morning. The swell is 6 ft, pushing in from the SSE with a solid 13-second period – that’s a quality groundswell. The combined energy is strong at 1170. Sure, the wind is a light cross-shore, but it’s only 6 mph, so the wave face stays pretty clean. The water is sitting at 72°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. That spot, Praia Tenório, is fairly exposed to the south and the optimum swell direction for quality is from the south – this is hitting right where we want it. It’s a beginner-plus break, consistent enough, and crowds are only sometimes a problem. For the size, it’s manageable for confident beginners and a blast for intermediates. That Saturday morning session is the one to chase. By the afternoon the swell eases and the breeze picks up a notch, but still okay.

After that, don’t hold your breath. The consistent, clean, lined-up swell we all want just doesn’t materialise in that second week. The small windows of hope are toyed with by rain and messy winds. We get one more morning of note – Friday the 28th, in the morning – a clean, glassy 3 ft SSE swell, but the energy is light (230) and the size is a bit gutless. After that it fades right off again into flatness.

All in all, your best bet is locked in for Saturday morning the 15th. That’s the pick of the bunch. The rest is either flat, onshore junky, or too speculative to get excited about.

Rusty.

Read more