Which wetsuit for surfing in Portugal

Portugal is on the same latitude as New York, and cold upwelling keeps the water cooler than the air. People arrive with a summer suit in October and regret it.

The west coast (Peniche, Ericeira, Lisbon, the north)

Water sits around 17 to 19 degrees in late summer and 14 to 16 in winter. A 3/2 wetsuit covers roughly June to October. From November to May you want a 4/3, and in the coldest months many surfers add 3mm boots and a hood, especially in the north around Porto. Spring water is at its coldest even though the air is warming, so do not be caught out in April.

The Algarve south coast

A few degrees warmer, up to 21 to 23 in summer and rarely below 17 in winter. A 3/2 works most of the year; a shortie or even boardshorts is possible on a hot, small summer day; a 4/3 is enough for the coldest weeks. Note that Sagres, on the exposed western tip, runs colder than Lagos and Alvor because of the upwelling, so treat it as west coast.

Madeira and the Azores

Madeira is subtropical, around 19 to 22, so a 3/2 year-round, sometimes less. The Azores are cooler and more changeable, 16 to 19, so a 3/2 in summer and a 4/3 in winter, and pack for weather that shifts through the day.

The short version

Bring a 3/2 for a summer trip anywhere. Bring a 4/3 for the west coast outside high summer, and add boots for December to March.