Surf Forecasts:
Reef surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 5s period, NNW swell with 99 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Reef this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Reef in the next 16 days are 1.3m 5s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 8s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s be honest, this is a rough 16-day run for the surf. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with bad conditions that’s gonna test your patience. For the first 11 days, there’s just nothing worth getting wet for.
The first real chance of a wave doesn’t come until Monday, August 31st, but it’s still small. The water temp is 68°F, about average for the season.
The true standout, the only one worth circling on the calendar, is the morning of Tuesday, September 1st. The wind is gonna be light and clean, blowing cross-offshore, and we’ll have a 5ft swell from the NW. The combined energy in the water is moderate – 242 – so there’s enough push to get things moving. This is a reef break, which is perfect for a NW swell – it’ll hold the shape and give you a proper wave. The period is only 8 seconds, so it’s not a deep-water groundswell, but it’ll be fun. Just know that this spot is for advanced guys only, and you can expect the regular crowd to be there.
Everything before that is a mess. The wind is either too strong, blowing 25-30 mph from the NNW, or the swell is totally flat. When we do get a bigger pulse on the 27th and 28th, with swell heights around 6ft and wave energy up in the 500s, the wind is cross or cross-on and strong, turning it into a choppy, lumpy mess. That’s more of a kite-surfing day than a paddle-out.
The very end of the forecast, on the 2nd of September, shows a 21-second period, but the swell is only 0.7ft and the wind is screaming from the north at 30 mph. It’s a tease, not a ride.
So, bottom line: mark your calendar for Tuesday, September 1st. That’s the one morning that looks like a real go. Everything else, save your energy.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Tue morning, min 19°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, fresh winds from the N by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Fri morning, min 18°C on Sat night). Mainly strong winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | NW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 8 | WNW 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | W 8 | SW 13 | W 8 | W 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 10 | 24 | 21 | 33 | 27 | 50 | 62 | 61 | 36 | 25 | 21 | 18 | 25 | 26 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 7:21PM2.44m | 7:44AM2.32m | 8:08PM2.18m | 8:37AM2.15m | 9:12PM1.98m | 9:50AM2.03m | 10:42PM1.88m | 11:22AM2.03m | 00:11AM1.94m | 12:36PM2.16m | 1:11AM2.08m | 1:28PM2.34m | 1:54AM2.25m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:04PM0.59m | 1:27AM0.69m | 1:50PM0.80m | 2:12AM0.91m | 2:50PM1.00m | 3:15AM1.09m | 4:18PM1.11m | 4:48AM1.16m | 5:56PM1.07m | 6:14AM1.07m | 7:03PM0.92m | 7:12AM0.91m | 7:48PM0.74m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:52 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — |
 | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:28 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 24 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 8 | NNW 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | W 8 | SW 13 | W 8 | W 8 |
| kJ | 270 | 237 | 159 | 94 | 70 | 28 | 62 | 61 | 36 | 226 | 21 | 18 | 25 | 26 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | SSW 16 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 10 | WNW 9 | NNW 5 | NW 11 | NW 12 | WNW 9 | — | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | — | — | — | SW 13 | W 8 | SW 13 | SW 12 |
| kJ | 5 | 24 | 13 | 12 | 27 | 50 | 18 | 30 | 37 | 25 | — | 18 | 20 | 20 | — | — | — | 7 | 1 | 7 | 6 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | WNW 8 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | WNW 8 | SSW 4 | SSW 4 | S 4 | NNW 10 | SSW 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 11 |
| kJ | 10 | 6 | 21 | 33 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 5 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 10 | NNW 7 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 6 |
| kJ | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | 329 | 242 | 943 | 462 | 655 | 621 | 998 | 1201 | 886 | 618 | 441 | 225 | 139 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 6 | 213 | 1 | 1 | 43 | 1 | 32 | 420 | 288 | 32 | 599 | 144 | 548 | 599 | 448 | 265 | 669 | 430 | 547 | 793 | 124 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Ericeira | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Portugal | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Reef surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Reef Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Reef provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Reef can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Reef surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Reef) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Reef may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a holiday in Ericeira? If you are looking for accommodation near Reef, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Ericeira, consider staying in Torres Vedras which is 19 km (12 miles) away. Other places in and around Ericeira where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Sintra which is 21 km (13 miles) away, Rio de Mouro, Cacem and Loures.
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