Molhe Leste seasonal overview
Best Surf Season (October - March)
Molhe Leste's heavy season gets the full force of the North Atlantic. From October through March, low-pressure systems marching across the Atlantic generate average swells of 2.5-2.8m (8-9ft) with periods of 12-13s. These are powerful, long-period groundswells from the W and SW that line up on this SW-facing beach. With offshore winds from the N through E blowing 43-44% of the time, the winter months offer the most consistent combination of size, period and clean surface. A negative NAO helps push the storm track south toward Portugal, and that is when Molhe Leste truly fires.
Fair Surf Season (April & September)
April and September are the transitional windows. April still averages 2.1m (7ft) of swell but with a shorter 11.2s period, and the NNW wind regime starts to dominate, making surface conditions more hit-and-miss. September is the better of the two: the Atlantic begins waking up, the average period climbs back above 10.5s, and the wind is ideal 45% of the time, offering warm-water pulses of W-NW energy before the true winter aggression arrives.
Low Surf Season (May - August)
From May to August, Molhe Leste settles into summer mode. Average swell heights drop to 1.5-1.8m (5-6ft), periods fall to the 8.6-9.9s range, and most waves arrive from the NNW-NW sector-an angled, less favorable direction for this SW-facing spot. The wind is still offshore from the northern quadrant much of the time, but the swell is smaller, shorter-period and often weak. This is the season for groveling on a fun-size board, not for chasing XL walls.