Figueira da Foz - Buarcos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag coming up for Buarcos, a point break down in Figueira da Foz. The water’s sitting at about 68°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The start of the run is a bit of a write-off, really. Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th have some tiny, grovelly waves with poor conditions. The swell is weak as, with energy readings barely cracking 86 then 97, and the wind is all over the place. Not worth paddling out for.

Friday morning, August 21st is where things start to look a bit more interesting. The swell picks up to 7 ft from the NNW, with a period of 10 seconds, giving it a bit of push. The energy jumps to a solid 757, which is proper moderate. Wind is a clean cross-off from the N at 30 km/h, so the faces will be groomed. That’s a solid day for advanced surfers—size is up there, but the conditions are clean. The afternoon holds similar, with energy at 764, still clean. This is the standout for the first week.

Saturday the 22nd morning is a sneaky good one too. Swell drops to 4 ft from the NNW, but the wind goes glassy, light as a feather from the NNW at 5 km/h. The energy is still decent at 336, and the wave comment says “expect good surf conditions.” That’s a session for the dawn patrol, when the swell is still clean and the wind is off.

Sunday the 23rd through Tuesday the 27th turns into a bit of a lull. The swell hangs around 4 ft to 5 ft, but the wind swings onshore or cross-onshore, chopping things up. The energy drops back into the 100s to 300s. It’s messy and not really worth a dedicated session unless you’re desperate.

Friday morning, August 28th is the next true standout. The swell is 5 ft from the NW with a 10-second period, and the energy is 441. Wind is a clean cross-off from the N at 15 km/h. The wave comment says “expect good surf conditions.” It’s a real nice clean window for a morning paddle. The swell direction (NW) is not the optimum (WSW), but the quality and consistency make up for it.

The last days of the run into early September are a bit inconsistent. Saturday the 29th is small and clean, but ordinary. Sunday the 30th has a bit more size at 6 ft from the NW, but the wind is cross, creating a bit of chop. Energy is 401, but it’s marginal. Monday the 31st sees a bigger swell of 7 ft from the NW, but the wind is cross-onshore from the S, so it’ll be a choppy mess. That’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle one.

Wednesday morning, September 2nd is a final bright spot. The swell is 5 ft from the WNW, with a period of 8 seconds. Wind is a light cross-off from the NNE at 5 km/h, glassy clean. Energy is 317, and the wave comment says “expect good surf conditions.” It’s a nice little late-season window, but it’s a week and a half away, so keep an eye on the forecast.

Overall, the best windows are Friday the 21st and Friday the 28th, with Saturday the 22nd and Wednesday the 2nd as solid second choices. The crowd factor at Buarcos can be “sometimes” busy, so expect some company, especially on the good days. The break is inconsistent, so these windows are worth chasing.

Rusty.

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