Figueira da Foz - Buarcos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Morning, crew. Rusty here, checking the scans for Buarcos over these next couple of weeks. There’s a bit of a slow start, but the ocean’s got a couple of proper pulses lined up. It’s not all firing, but there are a few mornings that are going to be absolute gems.

Right now, we’re looking at small waves. This morning we’ve got 1.0m from the NW, period around 11 seconds, and it’s glassy – flat calm, no wind. The energy is weak, reading just 276. You might find a slow, clean one if you’re patient, but the afternoon turns a bit cross-shore, so it’s not a day to get excited about.

We then hit a rough patch. Tuesday is weak and ordinary – 0.5m NW, energy down to just 96, and it’s clean but lifeless. Wednesday picks up in size to 3.0m from the NNW, plenty of energy at 1172, but the wind is cranking from the north at 30 km/h. That’s big and rough – more of a battle than a pleasure. Thursday and Friday stay around the 2m mark, but the wind stays up, so the surface gets messy. Quality is poor.

Then we get to the good stuff. Saturday the 19th. We’ve got a proper groundswell filling in – 2.2m from the NW with a period stretching to 14 seconds. The energy reading is huge at 1733. The wind is light offshore from the east in the morning, so the face is going to be clean and lined up. Buarcos is a point break, and this is exactly the kind of west-northwest swell it loves. This is the standout for experienced surfers – powerful, long-period waves that will hold their shape. Saturday morning is your window.

Sunday backs off a touch – 1.6m NW, still some period, energy at 665 – but the wind goes a little cross-shore, so it’s less clean.

Monday the 21st is another big one. 1.9m NW with a 14-second period, energy at 1403, and it’s glassy again in the morning. Another excellent session for the crew who know what they’re doing. Clean, raw power.

The following week sees things fade. Tuesday and Wednesday are small – energy dropping below 300, waves around 1m. Not much doing. But Friday the 25th is a sneaky pick. 1.6m from the WNW, 14 seconds of period, and the energy jumps back up to 1130. Glassy conditions again in the morning – clean, lined-up waves, another one for the experienced surfer. Keep that date in your mind.

After that, it trails off. The last weekend into the start of October sees small, weak swells and some onshore wind. Not worth the paddle. Water temp is about average for this time of year, no surprises there.

Buarcos can get busy, especially when the swell is clean and there’s decent energy. Expect company in the water on those standout days. It’s a point break that handles the longer periods well, but if it gets crowded, the inside can feel a bit shifty.

So, mark your calendar for Saturday the 19th and Monday the 21st – those are your best bets. Friday the 25th is a solid backup. The rest is pretty average, with the start and end of the window being too small or messy to bother with. It’s a promising stretch, but you gotta pick your moments.

- Rusty

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