Vale do Lobo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve got to be straight with you – the next couple of weeks around Vale do Lobo are looking pretty flat and quiet. There’s nothing on offer at all for the first few days, just tiny, weak dribble that’s not worth paddling out for. It’s a real slow period. There’s a big gap here with no real surf to speak of, but hang in there, because there is a little window of promise right at the tail end of the forecast, even if it’s a long way off.

Right, the first real glimmer of anything decent pops up on the morning of Monday the 28th of September. We’ve got some waist-high swell rolling in, about 4 ft from the WSW, with a solid 11-second period, so there’s a bit of groundswell energy behind it (280 combined energy). The wind’s glassy out of the NW – absolutely dead calm – which means the surface will be like a mirror. That’s a rare treat, and it’ll make the waves super clean. The water’s sitting at 70°, which is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual. Vale do Lobo itself is a pretty consistent spot when there’s swell, and it’s a beginner-friendly break, so if you’re just starting out, that 4 ft is a nice, manageable size. The crowds can be around sometimes, but on a Monday morning with a forecast like this, you might have a bit more room. The swell direction from the WSW matches the optimum for the break, so that’s all good. The afternoon though, the wind swings onshore from the SW and the quality drops right off, so make the most of that morning window.

Before that, the morning of Sunday the 27th of September has a similar size swell, about 4 ft from the WSW, but the period is only 7 seconds, which is short and crumbly, and with a light cross-shore wind, it won’t be anywhere near as clean or organised as the Monday morning. The energy is moderate (155 combined energy) but the short period means it’ll be a bit of a mess. Later that Sunday afternoon, the swell picks up to 5 ft from the WSW with a massive 658 combined energy, but it’s onshore from the SW and with a risk of thunderstorms, so it’s not really a paddle option – that kind of setup is more for the kite crew if anything.

Apart from that, it’s tiny waves and clean, cross-off winds for most of the other days, but the swell is just too small to make it worthwhile. The energy levels are weak, mostly below 100 combined energy, and the heights are under 2 ft. The only other date worth a mention is the morning of Thursday the 17th of September, with a 2 ft swell from the WSW, 12-second period, and glassy winds out of the ENE – that’s clean, but it’s barely enough to get your fins wet. Still, it’s a nice paddle if you just want to get out there. The water temp is about 70°, average for the season.

So, the standout is clearly the morning of Monday the 28th of September. It’s a long way off, so treat it as a promising prospect rather than a sure thing, but if the glassy conditions hold and that WSW groundswell shows up, it could be the best session of the whole two weeks. Keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

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