Praia da Rocha
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Hourly Forecast
Timezone: Europe/Lisbon
⏱️s.
⚡️kJ
Thursday 28
Friday 29
Saturday 30
Sunday 31
Monday 01
Tuesday 02
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Praia da Rocha surf guide

Praia da Rocha is a long, sandy beach located in Portimão, Portugal. It's a well-known spot and draws a mix of surfers and bodyboarders, especially because of its consistent waves and the vibrant beach scene. The beach is popular with tourists, making it a lively place to hang out, but also means it can get crowded, particularly near the breakwater.

The surf at Praia da Rocha offers a mix of fun waves. The main feature is a hollow left that breaks off the western breakwater, which is known for its barreling sections. This wave works best with a southwest swell, handling sizes from about 1 meter to 3 meters (3ft to 10ft). While it can be inconsistent, the winter months from December to February typically see better conditions with more reliable waves. The beach also has a variety of peaks scattered further to the west, providing options for both lefts and rights. These peaks tend to work better on lower tides, giving intermediate surfers a chance to enjoy some fun rides. The wind usually comes from the northeast, which is ideal for this spot.

Parking is available near the breakwater, but be warned that it can fill up quickly, especially when the surf is good. Despite the crowds near the jetty, there's plenty of space along the beach to spread out. If you're looking to catch some waves here, be prepared for a competitive vibe, especially when the conditions are firing.

Surf reports and surf forecasts nearby Praia da Rocha

Praia da Bordeira
Faro District, Portugal
Beach break
Thu 28
Fri 29
Sat 30
Sun 31
Mon 1
Tue 2
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Praia do Amado
Faro District, Portugal
Beach break
Thu 28
Fri 29
Sat 30
Sun 31
Mon 1
Tue 2
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Zavial
Faro District, Portugal
Beach break
Thu 28
Fri 29
Sat 30
Sun 31
Mon 1
Tue 2
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Praia da Salema
Faro, Portugal
Beach break
Thu 28
Fri 29
Sat 30
Sun 31
Mon 1
Tue 2
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Praia do Burgau
Faro, Portugal
Unknown break
Thu 28
Fri 29
Sat 30
Sun 31
Mon 1
Tue 2
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Praia da Luz
Faro District, Portugal
Beach break
Thu 28
Fri 29
Sat 30
Sun 31
Mon 1
Tue 2
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Praia do Porto de Mós
Faro, Portugal
Unknown break
Thu 28
Fri 29
Sat 30
Sun 31
Mon 1
Tue 2
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Praia Meia
Faro District, Portugal
Beach break
Thu 28
Fri 29
Sat 30
Sun 31
Mon 1
Tue 2
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Meia Praia
Faro District, Portugal
Beach break, Jetty break
Thu 28
Fri 29
Sat 30
Sun 31
Mon 1
Tue 2
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
Praia da Rocha
Faro District, Portugal
Beach break
Thu 28
Fri 29
Sat 30
Sun 31
Mon 1
Tue 2
Wed 3
Thu 4
Fri 5
Sat 6
Sun 7
Mon 8
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Readme

Welcome! If you’re new to surf forecasting, check out this quick guide.

Forecast Table

The forecast table (the section on the page with all the numbers) is designed to pack as much information in the screen as possible. Although intimidating at first, it will help you make informed decisions about the waves faster, trust me :D. The table consists of roughly four sections, time and predictions, wind, waves, and tides:

🔮 Time and predictions section

Here we show the forecast thour and the overall surf quality prediction. This is determined based on the wave, wind and tide quality prediction. These individual predictions can be found on the forecast map.

💨 Wind section

The first row on the table (with the 💨 icon) shows wind speed, direction and gust. The more the wind speed the more aggressive the color (from blue, green, orange to red).

🌊 Wave section

The waves section consists of three rows, one for wave height and direction, one for period and one for wave energy. Our algorithm choices the "dominant wave". This is normally the first swell partition, but with heavy local storms it displays the wind waves. If that's the case, we display the numbers in italic and in gray.

🌒 Tide section

The tide section consists of a row with the actual heights per hour (measured at the half hour) and a table that displays the flow of the tide and the extremes (lows and highs).

Forecast map

The forecast map consists of arrows. These arrows represent all wave partitions (swell partitions and wind wave partition) and the wind. This allows you to see things like: a secondary swell or wind waves messes up the surf, or the wind is just a tick offshore so very surfable. Click a metric label in the bottom left to bring that arrow to the front — handy when arrows overlap.

Forecast Cheat Sheet

Short on time? Focus on wave energy. It’s the best single metric to gauge how big and powerful the waves will be.

Click any table cell to jump to that forecast hour. The map will update with forecast arrows, so you can see if wind and swell direction are lining up.

Use the table sidebar to switch units for height and speed.

Log your surf sessions to compare forecasts with real sessions and sharpen future predictions.

Models and Updates

Surfnerd blends multiple global and local wind and swell models using advanced interpolation and spatial techniques to create an "ensemble" forecast. Forecasts are refreshed hourly.

Surf Predictions

Our AI-driven algorithm scores surf quality, shown by green, orange, and gray dots. Each forecast hour is rated for wind, swell, and tide quality, then combined into an overall score. Here’s the scale:

Perfect
Good
Average
Bad or No Data

Session logs also feed the algorithm — the more you log, the smarter your forecasts get.

With Surfnerd, no more "you should have been here yesterday"

Wind certainty

Wind certainty tells you how much the weather models agree on the forecast.

  • High certainty: Models agree closely; forecast is reliable.
  • Medium certainty: Some disagreement; conditions may shift slightly.
  • Low certainty: Models diverge; treat forecast with caution.

We calculate this by comparing wind speed, gust and direction from multiple models (like GFS, ECMWF, Arome, and Harmonie) and seeing how closely they match. They are weighted, meaning that some models count more than others, depending on how good they are for a certain spot.

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