Vale do Lobo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be honest right off the bat – it’s quiet out there. Real quiet. If you’re looking for a surf this week or next, you’re going to have to be happy with a bellyboard or a longboard and a whole lot of patience, because the swell just isn’t showing up.

The only break in the game here is Vale do Lobo. It’s a beginner-friendly, fairly consistent spot exposed to the west. Over the whole sixteen-day window, the water temp is about average for the time of year, so no shocks there. But the waves? They’re tiny. We’re talking ankle to shin-high at best. For the entire stretch from Sunday 30th August all the way through to Monday 14th September, the swell height barely nudges past 1 ft. The combined swell energy is weak, reading between 9 and 38 (weak energy), so there’s just no push behind it.

Let’s run through it. Sunday 30th morning, we’ve got 1 ft of west swell at 6 seconds, with a gentle north cross-off breeze making it look clean, but honestly, it’s poor surf. Energy is only 9. The afternoon turns onshore. Monday 31st stays tiny, 1-1 ft, period stretches to 10 seconds – that’s a groundswell – but again, the energy is low at 35, and it’s still poor.

Tuesday 1st September: same story. 1 ft. Wednesday 2nd morning goes glassy with a light NNE breeze, but the swell is 1 ft with 8 second period – a weak windswell. Energy is 15. You could paddle around, but you won’t be surfing. Thursday 3rd drops even smaller, 0.7 ft of west swell at a pathetic 5 seconds, energy down to 3. Friday 4th: glassy again with a NNW breeze, but still only 1 ft of 8-second swell.

The pattern just repeats. Saturday 5th morning is glassy with a 1 ft west swell at 11 seconds – that’s a longer period groundswell, which could wrap a bit, but it’s so small. Energy is 35. Still poor. Sunday 6th and Monday 7th are the same tiny stuff. We get a bit of a lift on Tuesday 8th with 1 ft WSW swell at 10 seconds, energy 38 – the highest of the whole run – but the wind is cross-onshore from the WNW. It’s still poor. Wednesday 9th afternoon gets a fresh cross-onshore wind at 19 mph, which kills any chance of it being fun.

From Thursday 10th September onward, it’s all tiny, messy, or onshore. The period drops to 5 seconds on the 10th afternoon. Friday 11th and Saturday 12th see a fresh cross-shore breeze. Sunday 13th and Monday 14th are glassy again, but with 0.7-1 ft of swell. The last record on Monday 14th is dead calm and glassy, but 1 ft of 9-second west swell and an energy of 28 – so close, yet so far.

Bottom line: there are no standouts. No good waves in this 16-day window. The only thing worth mentioning is that on the glassy mornings, like 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 13th, and 14th September, the ocean is flat as a tack. Great for a swim, not for a surf. Vale do Lobo is a beach break, and with very few consistent options, a blank run like this is not unusual for the area. Don’t hold your breath – the forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a long flat spell.

Rusty.

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