Vale do Lobo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty. Let's have a look at what's on offer for the Algarve.

Alright, mate, I'm not gonna sugar-coat it: the next two weeks are looking pretty grim for any decent surf. We're staring down a long, flat spell, so don't get your hopes up. The first real chance of anything even worth looking at doesn't show up until early on the morning of Friday, August 7th, and even then, it's a struggle.

For the first few days, it's all tiny waves and average wind. Tuesday the 4th through to Thursday the 6th is just a write-off: ankle-snappers at best, all under 2ft, with a lot of onshore chop. The swell energy is weak, barely cracking 100 (mostly between 24 and 104). It's a total no-go.

Friday morning, August 7th, is the first day we get a sniff of something. Vale do Lobo will see a tiny 2ft swell from the WNW, but it's got a short period of just 6 seconds, so it'll be pretty weak and messy. The wind is cross-offshore from the NNW though, so it'll be clean. The combined energy is only 55, so it's weak. Honestly, it's "surfable but very ordinary". You could get a few fun ones on a log, but it's not worth rushing for.

The rest of the first week and into the second week is more of the same – tiny, weak swells and poor conditions. We get a few glassy mornings, like on Tuesday the 11th and Thursday the 13th of August, but the swell is still rubbish – barely 1ft and 2ft respectively. The energy on the 13th is 60, so still weak. It's clean, but there's nothing to ride.

Now, the one thing that stands out, and it's a big caveat, is the afternoon of Saturday the 15th of August. The swell jumps to 6ft from the WNW, with a combined energy of 309 (moderate energy). But it's a total mess. The wind is a moderate cross-onshore from the WSW at 25 km/h, creating choppy, poor surf conditions. The period is short at 7 seconds. So while the size is there, the quality is gone. This setup is honestly more interesting for kite surfing than for paddle surfing.

The last few days of the forecast from the 16th to the 19th of August drop right back to flat, tiny waves again. There's really nothing to recommend here.

So, to be straight with you – the best on offer is probably the early morning of Thursday the 13th of August. It's not a standout, but it's the cleanest chance with glassy conditions on a 2ft, 9 second W swell. The energy is 60, so it's weak. You'll be on a longboard or a foamie, but at least you won't be fighting the wind. Keep an eye on the charts, but for now, it's a flat spell for the Algarve.

Rusty.

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