What to Wear Surfing in Portugal

In Portugal you will want a wetsuit to surf for most of the year, because the Atlantic stays cool even in summer. The right thickness depends on the season: roughly a 3/2mm suit in high summer and a 4/3mm from autumn through spring. As a beginner taking a lesson, though, you do not need to own any of it, the school hands you the correct wetsuit, board and leash. You just bring swimwear.

This is a professional surfer’s guide to what to wear in the water around Lisbon, written by Luis Perloiro, who kits out beginners every week at Carcavelos. It covers whether you need a wetsuit, the right thickness by season, what the numbers mean, what to wear underneath, and the best time of year to come, so you turn up with exactly the right thing and nothing you do not need.

Do you need a wetsuit to surf in Portugal?

Almost always, yes. The sea around Lisbon and Cascais is cooler than the air, sitting at roughly 18 to 20 degrees Celsius in summer and around 14 to 16 in winter, though it varies year to year. Even on a hot August day you will get cold sitting in the water for an hour or two without a suit. Only in the warmest weeks can strong swimmers get away with a spring suit or boardshorts and a rash vest.

Wetsuit thickness by season

Wetsuit thickness is matched to water temperature, not air temperature. These figures are a practical guide for the Lisbon coast; treat them as approximate and confirm against a live chart before you buy.

What the wetsuit numbers mean

A wetsuit is described by two numbers, like 3/2 or 4/3. They are the thickness of the neoprene in millimetres.

What beginners actually need

Beyond the wetsuit itself, the list is short. Most of it you already own.

• Swimwear: board shorts or a swimsuit worn under the wetsuit. This is the one thing you must bring.
• A rash vest: optional under a wetsuit, useful on hot days worn alone to prevent chafing and sunburn.
• Reef-safe sunscreen: a high factor on your face, neck and hands, ideally water-resistant.
• A towel and a change of clothes: for afterwards.
• Provided by the school: the wetsuit, the soft board and the leash. You do not buy or rent these for a lesson.

The best time of year to surf near Lisbon

For beginners, the sweet spot is roughly May to October, when the swell is smaller, cleaner and more forgiving and the water is at its warmest. Winter brings bigger, more powerful surf that suits experienced surfers, the kind covered in our guide to the biggest waves in Portugal. That said, lessons run year-round, because a good school simply gives you a warmer wetsuit in the cooler months.

On a lesson, we bring the gear

The best part for a beginner is that none of this is your problem. We already know the water temperature, so we hand you a wetsuit of the right thickness, a soft board and a leash. All you bring is swimwear, sunscreen, a towel and yourself.

Our beginner lesson at Carcavelos with Luis includes the full kit, so you can decide to surf in Lisbon without owning a single piece of gear. Our how to surf guide and our Carcavelos surf guide cover what a first session is like.

Frequently Asked Questions

Turn up with the right thing, or nothing at all

Surfing in Portugal means a wetsuit almost year-round, matched to the season: a 3/2mm in summer, a 4/3mm the rest of the year, worn over simple swimwear. Or skip the shopping entirely: on a lesson at Carcavelos with Luis, we bring the wetsuit, board and leash, and you bring only your swimwear and a smile.