Figueira da Foz - Buarcos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's get into it.

First up, we're looking at Buarcos, a point break over in Figueira da Foz. It's a spot that doesn't always fire, and this forecast is a real test of patience. The water temp is sitting right around 69°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The start of the outlook is a bit of a write-off. We've got a few days of small, messy waves with onshore winds and poor conditions. Tuesday morning, the 4th of August, offers a glimpse of something with a glassy surface and a 3ft west swell, but it's just not enough to get excited about. From there, we go through a long stretch of marginal conditions. The wind is mostly cross-offshore, which is clean, but the swell is tiny and the energy is weak. The combined energy readings are all three-digit numbers, but they're low, like 146 and 180, which just doesn't pack a punch.

Now, there's a bit of a shift around the 9th of August. Sunday morning brings a clean 4ft swell from the NNW with a light cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is up to 207, and the report says to expect good surf conditions. This is the first real standout. The swell direction is a bit off the optimum, but it's clean, and the size is manageable for an advanced surfer.

Then things get tricky again. The middle of the outlook is a desert of poor conditions, with onshore winds and weak, choppy surf. The combined energy readings drop into the low hundreds and even into the double digits, like 79. Nothing to see here.

The real gold is at the very end. On Monday morning, the 17th of August, we get a massive pulse. We're looking at a 10ft swell from the NNW, with a glassy surface and no wind. The combined energy is a massive 1081. This is for experienced surfers only, as it's well over 8ft. The period is 8 seconds, so it's a short-period swell, which means it won't be as clean and lined-up as a longer period groundswell, but the power is undeniable. The afternoon looks a bit less clean with a cross-shore wind, but that morning session is the one to circle. It's a long way out, so keep an eye on it, but it's the only true standout in this whole 16-day window.

Given the swell size and the onshore winds earlier in the month, the beach-break setup here would be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing during those days.

So, the plan is: don't waste your time on the early stuff. Wait for that Sunday the 9th for a fun, clean session, and then keep your fingers crossed for the big one on the 17th.

Rusty.

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