Surf Forecasts:
Reef surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 12s period, NW swell with 137 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Reef this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Reef in the next 16 days are 0.7m 12s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 9s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here again, same story, different numbers.
We’re looking at a long dry spell at Reef. For the next week and a half, it’s flat to tiny and messy. The first real sign of life shows up on Sunday the 24th of August, but it’s not pretty.
On that Sunday, the swell comes in at 4 feet from the WNW, with a period around 8–9 seconds. The wind is straight onshore from the WSW to W, so it’s going to be choppy and blown out. The combined wave energy hits 277 (moderate), but with that wind, it’s better for kites than surfboards. Only for the dedicated.
The one that gets me excited is Sunday the 30th of August, in the afternoon. We’ve got a 7-foot swell from the NW, period 10 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 936 (strong). The wind is cross from the NNW at 15 mph, so it’s not glassy, but it’s workable. This is a proper swell, powerful and for experts only. The reef should handle it, but expect big, unruly sets and a crowd.
Water temp is around 68° to start, which is about average for this time of year.
So, the only real window is that late-August pulse. Keep your board waxed, but don’t hold your breath before then.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sun morning, min 20°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Wed morning, min 18°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed night, fresh winds from the NNW by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | NW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SSW 15 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | W 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 10 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 21 | 33 | 27 | 49 | 67 | 46 | 26 | 21 | 27 | 40 | 55 | 61 | 41 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross | glassy | on | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 6:01PM2.95m | 6:23AM2.67m | 6:40PM2.71m | 7:02AM2.50m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:44AM0.20m | 00:12AM0.24m | 12:23PM0.38m | 00:49AM0.46m | 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 | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:50 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — |
 | — | 8:31 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:28 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:22 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 23 | 21 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 25 | 24 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
Feels °C | 26 | 22 | 19 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 19 | 19 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | W 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | WNW 9 | NNW 12 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | W 9 |
| kJ | 524 | 344 | 5 | 392 | 291 | 237 | 284 | 284 | 163 | 155 | 117 | 59 | 62 | 46 | 55 | 14 | 15 | 40 | 55 | 61 | 41 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | W 8 | W 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | SSW 16 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NNW 11 | WNW 9 | SSW 15 | WNW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 10 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 24 | 13 | 12 | 27 | 49 | 67 | 12 | 26 | 21 | 27 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | WNW 8 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 15 | W 12 | SSW 15 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 9 | 9 | 26 | 25 | 6 | 21 | 33 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 21 | 12 | 21 | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNW 7 | — | — | — | — | SSW 3 | — | — | SW 2 | — | — | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 |
| kJ | — | — | 220 | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 226 | 512 | 1205 | 864 | 705 | 457 | 377 | 257 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 199 | 35 | 1 | 224 | 1 | 1 | 845 | 1 | 6 | 224 | 32 | 32 | 542 | 224 | 236 | 400 | 32 | 124 | 416 | 42 |
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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