Supertubos Alert Guide

Peniche, Portugal · part of the Supertubos spot guide

Supertubos is forecast-only — the nearest buoy is roughly 900 km away — so this is a model-swell alert. Local convergence amplifies the face, so the height below reads below the breaking face, not above it.

The forecaster's checklist

1. 1.Want swell from the southwest to west (about 200–310°), and discount north-quadrant swell — the peninsula blocks it.
2. 2.Look for period of about 12 seconds or more (10-to-16 band); long-period groundswell means square barrels, short-period means closeouts.
3. 3.A model height around 1.2-to-2 metres is the prime, makeable barrel window; above about three metres it often closes out, so check Molho Leste.
4. 4.Score a light east-to-northeast offshore, and use the peninsula — if the wind is wrong for Supertubos, another aspect nearby may be clean.
5. 5.Target the mid-tide push but verify against the current sandbank, since the ideal stage moves with the bar; it is expert-only and competitive on size.

Local winds & tide

Best wind: E–NE offshore (peninsula offers shelter) — from 45° to 90° (NE–E).

Tide-sensitive and sandbank-dependent; the ideal stage moves with the bar, with the mid-tide push a common default — too low goes shallow-to-closeout, too high backs the bank off and fattens it.

Dial it in