Praia da Foz Cabo Espichel Sesimbra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for our patch of coast.

Honestly, I’m looking at the next couple of weeks and it’s a bit of a grim picture. We’ve got Praia da Foz Cabo Espichel Sesimbra as the only spot in the mix, and the story is pretty much the same day after day – we’re dealing with a persistent cross-onshore wind that’s just messing things up. The water temp is sitting at 68°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so that’s one thing we don’t have to complain about.

The first few days are a write-off. Thursday the 6th kicks off with a tiny 1ft swell from the WNW, but that cross-on wind from the NNW at 12 mph has it all chopped up. The combined wave energy is weak, only 78, and it’s rated as poor. That afternoon, the wind picks up to 22 mph from the NW and the swell bumps to 4ft, but it’s just lumpy and messy. Friday and Saturday are more of the same – small, weak swell, cross-on wind, and poor conditions. This pattern holds through the first week.

We do start to see a bit more energy around Monday the 10th afternoon, with the swell hitting 3ft and the combined energy climbing to 119 (moderate), but that wind is still a fresh onshore breeze, so the quality is still poor. The best-looking morning might be Wednesday the 12th, with a 3ft swell from the WNW and a period of 9 seconds, giving us moderate energy at 127, but again, that cross-on wind is the killer.

The real tease comes on Thursday the 13th. The morning shows a 3ft groundswell from the WNW with a 9-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 162. That’s a decent amount of energy, but the wind is still cross-on, keeping it choppy. By the afternoon, the swell pushes to 5ft from the NW, with energy hitting 314 – that’s the strongest we’ll see in the whole forecast. A 5ft swell with that much energy *could* be fun, but it’s a reef break, and with a fresh 22 mph cross-on wind, it’s going to be lumpy and hard to enjoy. Not a standout for paddle surfing, I’m sorry to say.

The second week doesn’t offer much hope. Friday the 14th through to the 21st is a rinse-and-repeat of cross-on winds, mostly from the NW or NNW, with swell sizes hanging around 2ft to 4ft. The energy figures bounce around, occasionally hitting moderate levels like 169 on the 17th, but always with fresh to strong winds. The wind is just too strong and from the wrong direction for this reef to clean up.

Given the persistent cross-onshore wind and the fact that the biggest swell arrives with the worst wind, this setup actually looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. There’s just no window of clean, glassy conditions on offer. The break is fairly consistent, but with the wind howling, it’s not delivering the goods. We’re looking at a solid 16-day stretch with no real standouts.

Hang in there, the forecasts can change, but for now, it’s a tough run.

Rusty.

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