← Algarve and Southwest Portugal report

Algarve and Southwest Portugal · Today

Arrifana

When to go

6:00 PM–7:00 PM

Looks good · Low confidence

5.4–5.4 ft · Offshore waves · not face height

Wind: 2.9 kt · cross-shore

Forecast details
  • Light wind should keep the water smoother.
Other wind windows

Plan around the wind

The best available upcoming daylight wind sample to compare with the wave evidence. This compares wind only; wave size, tide suitability, and hazards can change your choice.

  • 5:00 PM–7:00 PM · Europe/Lisbon

    Light wind · up to 2.9 kt · reported gusts up to 10.9 kt

    Offshore waves: 5.3–5.4 ft across the period. Surf height unavailable. Tide data unavailable.

    Wind source time: Sep 23, 12:30 AM GMT+1. This is not the model run issue time.
How these periods are chosen

The planner prefers three consecutive hourly samples covering two daylight hours, but retains shorter one- or two-sample evidence when that is all the forecast provides. Light wind means at most 6 kt. Moderate offshore means at most 12 kt from land toward the sea when shore orientation is verified. Strong wind or known gusts of 20 kt or more remain visible as cautions instead of making the entire comparison disappear. These are comparison labels, not locally tested surf-quality or safety ratings. Missing gusts remain unknown. Terrain shelter, currents, closures, and your ability are not assessed.

Forecast confidence
  • Returned marine grid point is 0.5 km from the mapped spot. Provider grid resolution is not established for this response.
  • Reference model hour: 0 hours from now; historical residuals do not measure forecast lead-time error.
  • No accepted local model for these inputs: missing history, unsupported direction/period/height, or failed historical validation.
  • Tide unavailable: assessment incomplete, especially at shallow reef breaks.
  • A mapped coordinate does not establish nearshore grid resolution or terrain/shelter accuracy.

Wind ENE 2.5 kt

Tide Unavailable

Wave, wind and tide details
Offshore model swellNW 2.7 ft @ 15sValid 2026-09-23 01:00 · Europe/LisbonMarine grid 37.2917, -8.8750 · offshore model, not a local measurement
Offshore model sea3.7 ft @ 13.7sSignificant wave height including wind waves and swell; not breaking surfValid 2026-09-23 01:00 · Europe/Lisbon
Model windENE 2.5 ktoffshoreValid 2026-09-23 01:00 · Europe/Lisbon2.2 kt offshore component
TideUnavailableunavailableNo verified local tide station connected; no tide height estimated

Surf height unavailable. Coastal and offshore waves are not breaking-wave heights.

Surf and wind

Recommended window: No recommended window

Breaking surf is not reliably resolved. Hourly offshore swell and wind inputs are listed below.

Hourly forecast

Hourly surf forecast for Arrifana
TimeWindTideOffshore swell
NE 2.4 ktoffshoreUnavailableunavailableNW 2.7 ft @ 13s
ENE 2.5 ktoffshoreUnavailableunavailableNW 2.7 ft @ 15s
ENE 2.8 ktoffshoreUnavailableunavailableNW 3.0 ft @ 15s
ENE 2.7 ktoffshoreUnavailableunavailableNW 3.1 ft @ 15s
ENE 2.6 ktoffshoreUnavailableunavailableNW 3.4 ft @ 14s
E 2.5 ktcross-shoreUnavailableunavailableNW 3.8 ft @ 13s
ESE 3.7 ktcross-shoreUnavailableunavailableNW 4.2 ft @ 13s
SE 3.8 ktcross-shoreUnavailableunavailableNW 4.6 ft @ 12s
ESE 3.7 ktcross-shoreUnavailableunavailableNW 4.7 ft @ 12s
SE 3.5 ktcross-shoreUnavailableunavailableNW 4.9 ft @ 12s
SSE 3 ktcross-shoreUnavailableunavailableNW 5.0 ft @ 12s
SSE 5.1 ktcross-shoreUnavailableunavailableNW 5.1 ft @ 12s
S 5.9 ktcross-shoreUnavailableunavailableNW 5.1 ft @ 12s
S 6.1 ktonshoreUnavailableunavailableNW 5.2 ft @ 12s
SSW 5.6 ktonshoreUnavailableunavailableNW 5.2 ft @ 11s
SSW 4.7 ktonshoreUnavailableunavailableNW 5.2 ft @ 11s
SSW 3.9 ktonshoreUnavailableunavailableNW 5.2 ft @ 11s
SSW 2.5 ktonshoreUnavailableunavailableNW 5.2 ft @ 11s
W 1.4 ktcross-shoreUnavailableunavailableNW 5.2 ft @ 11s
NW 2.9 ktcross-shoreUnavailableunavailableNW 5.3 ft @ 11s
NNW 2 ktcross-shoreUnavailableunavailableNW 5.2 ft @ 11s
NNE 1.9 ktoffshoreUnavailableunavailableNW 5.2 ft @ 11s
NE 1.9 ktoffshoreUnavailableunavailableNW 5.2 ft @ 11s
ENE 2.4 ktoffshoreUnavailableunavailableNW 5.2 ft @ 11s
Unavailable
WindNE 2.4 ktoffshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 2.7 ft @ 13s
Unavailable
WindENE 2.5 ktoffshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 2.7 ft @ 15s
Unavailable
WindENE 2.8 ktoffshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 3.0 ft @ 15s
Unavailable
WindENE 2.7 ktoffshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 3.1 ft @ 15s
Unavailable
WindENE 2.6 ktoffshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 3.4 ft @ 14s
Unavailable
WindE 2.5 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 3.8 ft @ 13s
Unavailable
WindESE 3.7 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 4.2 ft @ 13s
Unavailable
WindSE 3.8 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 4.6 ft @ 12s
Unavailable
WindESE 3.7 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 4.7 ft @ 12s
Unavailable
WindSE 3.5 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 4.9 ft @ 12s
Unavailable
WindSSE 3 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 5.0 ft @ 12s
Unavailable
WindSSE 5.1 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 5.1 ft @ 12s
Unavailable
WindS 5.9 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 5.1 ft @ 12s
Unavailable
WindS 6.1 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 5.2 ft @ 12s
Unavailable
WindSSW 5.6 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 5.2 ft @ 11s
Unavailable
WindSSW 4.7 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 5.2 ft @ 11s
Unavailable
WindSSW 3.9 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 5.2 ft @ 11s
Unavailable
WindSSW 2.5 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 5.2 ft @ 11s
Unavailable
WindW 1.4 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 5.2 ft @ 11s
Unavailable
WindNW 2.9 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 5.3 ft @ 11s
Unavailable
WindNNW 2 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 5.2 ft @ 11s
Unavailable
WindNNE 1.9 ktoffshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 5.2 ft @ 11s
Unavailable
WindNE 1.9 ktoffshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 5.2 ft @ 11s
Unavailable
WindENE 2.4 ktoffshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellNW 5.2 ft @ 11s

Tide

Local tide station unavailable

Tide predictions are unavailable for this period.

About this spot

Model-grid forecast requested at the mapped coordinate; reef, headland, and nearshore transformations are unresolved. Beach and reef break.

Mapped spot coordinate: 37.29, -8.87.

Mainland · Coast not verified · Ocean-facing bearing 225° · Location provenance

Model request point: Arrifana (37.29, -8.87). Model output times describe valid conditions; the provider does not expose the model run issue time in this response.

Forecast sources

Data coverage 2/7 sources

Source availability is not forecast accuracy. Where an empirical model passes historical testing, its error and interval coverage are shown above. Source count cannot increase that confidence.

Coverage tier B · PORTUGAL · spot-level model point

  • IPMA Marine Forecasts
    No usable IPMA daily forecast with matching coastal-point identity and coordinates for the selected date.
    UnavailableNo source time
  • Instituto Hidrográfico MONICAN Buoys and Tides
    Real-time wave-buoy parameters and tide predictions; market adapter or station mapping not connected
    UnavailableNo source time
  • The Buoy API
    Normalized nearest-buoy discovery and readings; market adapter or station mapping not connected
    UnavailableNo source time
  • WorldTides API
    Tide predictions and station lookup; market adapter or station mapping not connected
    UnavailableNo source time
  • Open-Meteo Marine API
    1 of 1 configured model points available
    Current
  • Open-Meteo Weather API
    1 of 1 configured model points available
    Current
  • Copernicus Marine Global Ocean Waves
    Independent wave-model backend and cross-check; market adapter or station mapping not connected
    UnavailableNo source time
  • Surf-Forecast public pages
    Spot discovery and break-specific HTML fallback
    Not applicableNo source time
  • Surfline public spot pages
    Break-specific comparison, cams, and metadata
    Not applicableNo source time
How best guesses are made

Best guesses combine usable wave and wind evidence, with qualitative confidence and specific limitations. A missing tide or local surf-height model does not prevent useful guidance. Tide levels use the named station datum; their effect at this break remains uncertain. Wind direction is relative to the mapped beach orientation, without calibrated terrain or shelter effects. The comparison is a heuristic, not a measured quality rating.