Zambujeira do Mar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the forecast for our stretch of coast over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you, it’s a bit of a slow burner. We’re looking at a patchy run of small, junky surf for most of this week, with the real potential for something bigger and more powerful arriving next weekend. But there’s a catch, and it’s a big one.

The Long Haul (Now through August 17th)

Honestly, for the next week and a half, it’s going to be a struggle. The swell is small and mostly jumbled, with a lot of cross-onshore wind chopping it up. We’re looking at waves mostly in the 1 to 5 ft range, but the energy is weak, with the combined energy mostly in the two-digit low numbers (like 36, 57, 89) through to mid-week. The wind is just not our friend, coming from the NW and putting a real bump on the water. The swell direction is WNW to NNW, but it’s short-period, wind-slop stuff, not groundswell. The period is consistently under 10 seconds, often down around 6-8 seconds, so it’s going to be sectiony and soft.

A couple of mornings, like the 8th, 9th, and 11th, lighten up a bit with just a light cross-shore breeze, but the swell is so tiny it’s not going to be worth paddling out for. The water temp at the first break we’re talking about, Zambujeira do Mar, is 67°F, which is about 3°F colder than the long-term average for this time of year. That's a bit chilly, so a good wetsuit is a must. This spot is an exposed beach-and-reef setup, so these small, junky swells will just mush out.

The energy does start to build from the 12th onward, with the combined swell energy getting into the 100s and 200s, but the wind is still messy and the period remains short. It looks contestable, but not clean. The afternoon of the 14th sees the swell start to push up to 6 ft, and the wind goes straight onshore from the west. That’s not surfable; that’s just shorebreak.

The Big Push (August 15th - 19th)

Now, here’s where things get interesting, starting Saturday the 15th. We finally see some proper size arriving. The swell builds to 6 ft on Sunday morning the 16th, with light cross-onshore wind. The energy numbers jump up into the 300s and 400s, showing we’ve finally got some proper power in the water. The period is still a bit short, around 7-8 seconds, which isn't ideal, but there’s genuine size on the cards.

The standout, and I mean the real standout, looks like the morning of Monday, August 17th. The swell is forecast at 6 ft from the NW, with an onshore wind, but it’s only a light breeze at 6 mph. The combined swell energy is a strong 497. The swell is predicted to be too big for the break, which at 6 ft is a bullshit call for me, but it’s what we’re working with. That means it’s going to be a proper, powerful, and likely hollow wave.

But hold on. The real monster is coming Tuesday morning, August 19th. The forecast shows a solid 7 ft of swell from the NW with a period of 10 seconds and a light offshore/cross-offshore wind from the north. The combined energy is a whopping 909, which we haven’t seen all forecast, showing strong to very strong wave energy. This is the biggest, cleanest swell of the entire window. The period is in that sweet spot, not too short, not too long. It’s a classic groundswell pulse hitting an exposed break. The only problem is that with 7 ft of power, this is for experienced surfers only. Beginners should stay well clear. The morning looks like the moment, with light offshore winds making it clean.

The rest of that day and the following morning (Wednesday the 20th) still have plenty of size, but the wind swings onshore again, chopping up the surface. But if you can get a window, Tuesday morning looks like the day to clear your schedule.

This spot, Zambujeira do Mar, can draw a crowd when it’s good, so be prepared for company if you’re out there for those morning sessions later in the week. With that much energy and a break this exposed, it could be more of a spectacle than a relaxing paddle. If it gets too wild, it might be more interesting for the kite crowd than us surfers.

Rusty.

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