Zambujeira do Mar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty. Let’s be straight with you – this outlook for Zambujeira do Mar is a bit of a tough one. The forecast shows some swell building through the period, but the wind just won’t play nice for most of it. We’re looking at a solid 16-day window, and for the first ten days or so, it’s a struggle to find anything worth paddling out for. The water temp is sitting around 68°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Right from the start, Sunday 5 July morning has a tiny 1ft of WNW swell with glassy conditions, but it’s just too small and weak – combined energy of all swells is only 49, which is feeble. That sets the tone. Through Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, we see a mix of cross-shore and cross-onshore winds with swell heights barely tickling 1ft to 2ft, and periods dropping as low as 4–5 seconds – that’s just wind chop, not proper waves. The energy stays in the 20–50 range, which is pathetic. Thursday through to Saturday, 9–11 July, the swell lifts a little to 2–2ft, but the wind is cross-onshore from the NW at 10–12 mph, making everything bumpy and unrideable. The comment on every session is “poor surf conditions,” and I can’t argue with that.

By Sunday 12 July, the swell finally shows some life – 4–5ft from the NW, period around 8–9 seconds, and energy climbing to 267–320 – that’s moderate energy now. But the wind is still cross-onshore from the NW at 6–12 mph, so it’s going to be a messy, choppy mess. Still, one to watch. Monday 13 July morning gets a “marginal” nod, with 4ft of NW swell and a light cross-onshore breeze – maybe a grovel session if you’re desperate, but don’t expect much. After that, it’s back to poor conditions all the way through to Friday 17 July, with waves ranging 2–4ft and cross-onshore winds ruining the surface.

Then we get a genuine standout towards the very end. Saturday 18 July morning sees 5ft of NW swell, period up to 10 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 763 – that’s strong wave energy. Wind is a gentle 9 mph cross-onshore, so it’s still a little bumpy, but there’s some power in the water. But the real highlight is Sunday 19 July morning: 7ft of NW swell with a light 6 mph cross-onshore wind, and the comment says it all – “wind and tide favorable, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break.” That’s a big, powerful groundswell (9-second period) hitting hard, and for intermediate surfers, it’s borderline too big. For experts, this could be a proper session if you can handle the size. The energy is a massive 771. It won’t be glassy, but that light wind means it’ll be cleaner than anything else in the window. The direction from WNW is dead on the optimum for Zambujeira do Mar, and the break is very consistent, so you can trust it to deliver. Crowds are sometimes there, so you might have company.

After that, Monday 20 July drops back to a messy 6–7ft with stronger cross-onshore winds and moderate energy – not worth chasing.

So, the pick of the fortnight is Sunday 19 July morning – big, powerful swell, decent conditions for the area, and the best energy we see. Just make sure you’re comfortable with 7ft waves. The rest of the window is mostly a write-off. Sometimes it goes quiet for days here, and this is one of those stretches. Stay tuned, forecasts can shift, but as it stands, mark that Sunday on your calendar and keep an eye on the wind.

Rusty.

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