
Surf Forecasts:
Arrifana surf forecast from 3 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 6 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 13s period, NW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 8s period, NW swell with 616 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 5 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 9s period with NW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Arrifana this week:
The surf forecast for Arrifana over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 05) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 9s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Arrifana in the next 16 days are 2.3m 8s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 06) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Tue 8th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Arrifana over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s coming up for Arrifana over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the first week is a tough one. We’re looking at a big gap with no real surf to get excited about. From Thursday the 3rd right through until Saturday the 5th, it’s pretty much a write-off. Small, weak, messy waves. Not worth paddling out for. You’re better off grabbing a coffee and watching the horizon.
Things start to show a little pulse of life on Sunday the 6th. The morning session is where it’s at. We’ve got a clean 4ft groundswell from the northwest, with a long 12-second period between sets. That’s proper energy rolling in, with combined swell energy hitting 456 (moderate). The wind is light, cross-off, so the face will be clean. It’s not huge, but it’s got shape. This is a good one for the advanced crew – the reef and beach setup here can get a bit shifty with that long period, so keep your wits about you. The water is sitting at 65°, which is a solid 5° colder than usual for this time of year – that’s a real shock to the system, so don’t forget the thick rubber.
Sunday afternoon backs off a touch, and Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th see the swell push up a bit in size, but the wind gets stronger. Monday morning has 4ft from the WNW with a 13-second period, and the energy is pumping at 618 (strong). But that north wind is blowing at 12 mph, making it cross-off and a bit bumpy. Tuesday pushes 6ft to 7ft, but again, fresh breezes and messy conditions. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a clean paddle session, to be honest.
We then hit another dry spell from Wednesday the 9th through to Tuesday the 15th. The swell drops right off, and what’s there is small, weak, and often onshore or crossed up. There are a few glassy moments on the 10th and 11th, but with tiny waves (2ft to 3ft) and short periods, it’s not going to get the heart racing.
Now, the standout of the whole forecast – and it’s a bit of a long-range promise – is Monday the 14th of September. The morning is looking mint. We’ve got a clean 4ft northwest groundswell with a 12-second period, and the combined energy is a solid 396 (moderate). The wind is a light offshore from the ENE, so the waves will be clean, lined up, and begging for a drop. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The water is still going to be cold, so don’t be fooled by the sun. It’s a proper session for anyone who knows their way around a reef.
After that, the end of the forecast window sees a bit of a pulse again on Wednesday the 16th with 5ft from the NW, but the wind picks up again, and it’s not as clean. The 14th is your best bet.
So, hang in there. The first week is a bust, but that Monday the 14th is worth waiting for. It’s a bit far out, so keep an eye on it, but the signs are good.
Stay stoked,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Thu afternoon, min 23°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Sun afternoon, min 18°C on Mon night). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 14 | NW 12 | NW 12 | NW 11 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | NNW 7 | WNW 11 | NNW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NNW 7 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
47 | 48 | 47 | 80 | 45 | 132 | 81 | 164 | 330 | 303 | 179 | 350 | 469 | 345 | 305 | 289 | 503 | 434 | 371 | 382 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:25PM2.32m | 7:57AM2.28m | 8:40PM2.13m | 9:22AM2.19m | 10:19PM2.06m | 10:57AM2.25m | 11:49PM2.18m | 12:14PM2.46m | 00:55AM2.38m | 1:13PM2.71m | 1:46AM2.58m | 2:00PM2.93m | 2:29AM2.75m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:32AM0.70m | 2:13PM0.76m | 2:48AM0.87m | 3:51PM0.83m | 4:29AM0.91m | 5:31PM0.72m | 5:56AM0.76m | 6:43PM0.49m | 6:58AM0.55m | 7:37PM0.25m | 7:47AM0.33m | 8:21PM0.07m | ||||||||
— | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | |
8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:57 | — | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:53 | — | — | 7:52 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 32 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 32 | 30 | 26 | 30 | 27 | 23 | 27 | 27 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 18 |
Feels °C | 32 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 30 | 28 | 24 | 28 | 24 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SE 6 | WNW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 12 | NW 12 | NW 11 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | NW 10 | — | N 15 | NW 13 | NW 11 |
47 | 48 | 47 | 5 | 45 | 132 | 81 | 83 | 330 | 303 | 169 | 350 | 469 | 340 | 305 | 220 | — | 4 | 44 | 128 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 5 | NNW 7 | NNW 6 | NW 8 | NNW 5 | SE 4 | NNW 5 | NW 14 | NW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 15 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
14 | 25 | 14 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 9 | 164 | 77 | 62 | 179 | 65 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 9 | SE 5 | SE 6 | SW 13 | NW 10 | SW 12 | NW 16 | SE 5 | ESE 6 | SE 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SE 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
21 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 25 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 32 | 31 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 6 | — | — | NW 8 | — | — | — | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NNW 4 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NNW 7 |
53 | — | — | 80 | — | — | — | 15 | 12 | 22 | 139 | 116 | 137 | 345 | 282 | 289 | 503 | 434 | 371 | 382 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 5 | 3 | 3 | 70 | 3 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 26 | 23 | 275 | 26 | 26 | 378 | 62 | 62 | 587 | 55 |
Best forecast wave conditions in The Algarve | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Portugal | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Arrifana Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Arrifana provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Arrifana can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Arrifana surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Arrifana) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Arrifana may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Arrifana is 27 km (17 miles) from Lagos. If you plan a holiday in The Algarve, look for hotels and other accommodation in Lagos. Lagos has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










