Surf Forecasts:
Reef surf forecast from 25 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 11s period, WNW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 12s period, WNW swell with 1,807 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 11s period with WNW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Reef this week:
The surf forecast for Reef over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.4m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Reef in the next 16 days are 2.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 9s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is a bit of a tough one for the Reef. It’s a solid, exposed reef break that loves a good SW groundswell, but for the next 16 days, the stars just aren’t aligning. The water’s sitting at 67°, which is a bit colder than we usually get this time of year, so you’ll be wanting that full wetsuit.
Looking at the whole window, there’s a hefty gap of nothing but poor conditions. From now until the end of September, it’s a write-off. The wind is mostly cross or onshore, and the swell is either weak, short-period windswell, or just plain messy. The energy values are mostly low, with a few days of moderate energy but it’s all blown out.
The first real glimmer of hope is on the morning of Friday, August 28th. We’ve got a clean, cross-offshore breeze from the NNE at 12 mph and a solid 8 ft swell from the WNW. That’s a long-period groundswell (11 seconds) meaning proper energy. The comment says wind and tide are favorable, but the size is going to be an issue. 8 ft is pushing it for most, and it’s a wave comment that says it’s "too big for this break". That’s a big red flag. It’s a reef, so it’s going to be heavy, hollow, and strictly for experts only. If you’re not one, don’t even think about it.
After that, we drop back into a long stretch of nothing until Monday, September 7th. That morning, we get another clean, cross-offshore breeze from the N at 19 mph. The swell is 8 ft from the NW with a 12-second period, and the energy is massive. Again, the comment says "wind and tide favorable, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break." Same story: it’s going to be a powerful, dangerous, and probably unruly wave. Only for the absolute top-tier crew.
For the rest of the window, it’s a mix of lumpy cross-chop, weak energy, and tiny swell. The period storms are there, but the swell is mismatched. The afternoon of the 7th stays big (8 ft) but the wind goes cross and lumpy, ruining it.
So, the honest truth? There are no true standouts here. The two days that look clean on paper are too big for the setup. It’s a frustrating forecast. For a spot like this, it’s just a waiting game. The consistency is just not there in this window.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Wed morning. Warm (max 22°C on Tue morning, min 16°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sun morning, min 17°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WSW 6 | W 7 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 | W 8 | WNW 11 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NNW 6 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 166 | 114 | 62 | 81 | 287 | 405 | 535 | 556 | 412 | 1490 | 993 | 554 | 300 | 173 | 88 | 167 | 160 | 328 | 168 | 122 | 10 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 2:08PM2.54m | 2:30AM2.42m | 2:43PM2.72m | 3:03AM2.57m | 3:15PM2.87m | 3:34AM2.69m | 3:46PM2.98m | 4:05AM2.78m | 4:17PM3.03m | 4:37AM2.82m | 4:50PM3.02m | 5:10AM2.82m | 5:24PM2.94m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:24PM0.55m | 8:28AM0.54m | 8:57PM0.38m | 9:01AM0.39m | 9:28PM0.24m | 9:32AM0.26m | 9:59PM0.14m | 10:04AM0.19m | 10:29PM0.09m | 10:37AM0.16m | 11:01PM0.10m | 11:11AM0.19m | 11:35PM0.18m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | |  |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:58 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — |
 | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:09 | — |
mm | — | — | — | 4 | — | 6 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 17 |
Feels °C | 21 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 15 | 15 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | NNW 6 | SW 11 | W 8 | SW 11 | S 11 | W 8 | WNW 11 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 8 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 166 | 114 | 62 | 15 | 5 | 405 | 5 | 2 | 412 | 1490 | 993 | 554 | 300 | 173 | 88 | 167 | 160 | 328 | 168 | 72 | 10 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 7 | SW 12 | NW 11 | NW 10 | SW 11 | SW 11 | — | NW 12 | WNW 11 | — | — | — | S 10 | S 10 | — | W 13 | NNW 10 | S 10 | SW 18 | SW 17 | S 9 |
| kJ | 1 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | — | 6 | 167 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 3 | 71 | 2 | 12 | 11 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | NNW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 12 | — | S 10 | S 9 | — |
| kJ | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 2 | 2 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | WSW 6 | W 7 | — | W 8 | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | — | — | NNW 4 | NNW 5 | NNW 6 | NW 9 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 81 | 287 | — | 535 | 556 | — | — | — | — | — | 21 | 19 | — | — | 22 | 42 | 122 | 528 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 35 | 405 | 46 | 405 | 413 | 42 | 405 | 400 | 35 | 32 | 261 | 32 | 32 | 405 | 100 | 32 | 400 | 32 | 265 | 236 | 124 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Ericeira | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Portugal | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
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.
Nearest