Figueira da Foz - Buarcos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a coffee or a beer, and let me talk you through what’s happening at our little slice of the coast here.

Honestly, this is a tough stretch for us. We’re looking at a long, quiet spell with very little energy in the water. Most of the next two weeks will be borderline flat, and you’ll be fighting to find anything worthwhile. The first real glimmer of hope doesn't even show up until the second week, so patience is the name of the game.

We kick off on Sunday the 5th of July with tiny, weak swell. That’s a 1ft wave coming from the NW with a period of 11 seconds, but with the combined energy at a measly 66, it’s barely a ripple. We get clean conditions with a light north breeze, but it’s just not enough to work with. This same story basically holds through Monday and Tuesday the 6th and 7th, with wave heights hanging around 1.0ft to 1ft. The wind stays light or moderate, keeping the surface clean, but the swell is too weak and the period drops off. A short-period 8-second wave of only 1.0ft on Tuesday morning is not going to get anyone out of bed.

Wednesday the 8th and Thursday the 9th are more of the same. Clean, small, and weak. The energy stays low, barely hitting 57 on Thursday morning. We get a slight bump on Friday the 10th, with the swell height reaching 2ft and then 3ft in the afternoon. But there’s a catch—the wind swings onshore and the period drops to a poor 6 seconds, creating a messy, choppy surface (combined energy of 141). That's more of a kite session than a surf session.

The weekend of the 11th and 12th sees the swell trying to build, but it’s accompanied by onshore winds. On Sunday the 12th, the swell climbs to 5ft-5ft from the NW with 8-second period (combined energy 281). It’s got push, but it’s blown out with a cross-onshore wind making it choppy. It’s a poor forecast for a clean ride; the wave comment says so plainly.

The standout shift—and the *only* real highlight in the entire outlook—lands on Tuesday morning, the 14th of July. I actually got excited for a moment. That morning brings a 3ft swell from the WNW with a much better 10-second period, and here’s the kicker: glassy conditions. It’s dead calm with a slight air from the SSE, making the water look like a mirror. The combined energy is 211, which is moderate, and for once, the stars align for a clean surf. This is the best it’s going to get. Get yourself down to Figueira da Foz - Buarcos (point break) for that window. It’s an advanced wave, and it can be inconsistent, plus you might find others with the same idea, but when it’s glassy like that with a touch of groundswell, it makes up for it.

After that brief window, it’s back to the same old story. The rest of the month is a washout. We see small, messy swells with cross-onshore or onshore wind dominating. By the 18th and 19th of July, there’s a little bit of 3ft to 4ft swell, but the wind is up and the quality is just ordinary. The forecast through to the 20th doesn’t offer anything else worth paddling for. It’s a long, quiet, and mostly frustrating outlook for anyone hoping to get wet.

Stay keen, but don’t hold your breath. Rusty.

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