Zambujeira do Mar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s look at what we’ve got for Zambujeira do Mar.

Straight up, the next week and a half is a bit of a bummer, if I'm being honest. We’re looking at a long, drawn-out run of weak surf and rubbish wind. The first recommendation for a surf doesn’t pop up until Sunday morning, July 12th, and even then, it’s only just barely a goer.

Before that, from now through to Saturday the 11th, it's a mix of tiny swell – everything under 3 feet – and mostly cross-onshore or onshore winds. Energy levels are really weak, sitting between 25 and 88 (combined swell energy), which tells you there’s just no power in the water. You’d be fighting for scraps out there.

Sunday, July 12th morning is your first genuine look. We’ve got a bit of waist-high WNW swell around 3 feet pushing in. The period is a middling 9 seconds, so it’s not a groundswell, but it’s not junk either. What makes this one stand out is the wind: a glassy 5 km/h WSW breeze. That’s a major positive for a break that is very consistent and exposed to the WNW. The combined energy pushes up to 183 (moderate energy), so there’s some life. The water is 69°, which is right about average for this time of year. You might have company though – crowds are sometimes an issue here, but on a Sunday morning with conditions like this, it should be worth a paddle.

After that little window, it drops back off again. The rest of July is a tough run. From the 13th to the 17th, the swell sits mostly between 2 feet and 3 feet, but the wind is nearly always cross-onshore or cross-shore, and the energy gets real weak again. A lot of poor surf conditions.

Things do start to lift in size towards the end of the window, but don’t get too excited. On Saturday, July 18th the swell bumps up to 4 feet (NNW) but with a 30 km/h cross-onshore breeze, it’s going to be lumpy and messy. By Monday, July 20th and Tuesday, July 21st, the swell gets into the 5 feet to 7 feet range, with combined swell energy hitting 346 and 496 (strong to very strong energy). But the wind is still a big problem – strong cross-onshore breezes up to 40 km/h. At 7 feet on a beach break with those winds, this set-up is looking way more interesting for kite surfing than paddling into waves. It’s expert-only territory anyway if you try it.

So, the standout is that Sunday morning, July 12th. It’s not epic, but it’s the only chance for a glassy, clean knee to waist-high wave in quite a while. The rest of the window is either too weak and choppy, or too messy and wild.

Stay patient.

- Rusty

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