Figueira da Foz - Buarcos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and I’ve got the lowdown on what’s cookin’ for Figueira da Foz – Buarcos over the next couple of weeks. Let’s get straight into it.

Alright, patchy start. The first few days are a write-off for anything decent – we’re talking tiny, weak dribble with too much wind. Don’t even bother waxing up before Wednesday the 16th.

Wednesday the 16th morning sees a sudden jump in size to 8ft, but it’s a short-period, lumpy NNW swell and the wind is howling. That’s expert territory at best, and honestly, it looks more like a kite-surfing session than a paddle session. The wave energy is moderate (1031). Afternoon gets even bigger at 10ft from the NNW, but same story – messy and powerful for the wrong reasons.

Things start to turn on Thursday the 17th. Morning brings in a solid 7ft NW swell with a clean 9-second period, and the wind goes offshore from the NNE. That’s the kind of wind we want – it’ll be holding the waves up nicely. The combined energy is moderate (777). This is the first real window, but the afternoon gets skunky with a strong cross-off wind.

Now, the standout. The weekend is where we get serious. Saturday the 19th morning is the pick of the whole run. We’ve got a 7ft NW groundswell with a very long 14-second period hitting Buarcos. This point break is built for that kind of energy – the waves will be well-shaped, powerful, and have those nice long lulls between sets to paddle back out. The combined energy is strong, clocking in at (1957), and with a gentle breeze from the east, conditions will be clean. This is for experienced surfers, as 7ft with that juice will be a handful. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there. It might get a little busy as the spot is known to draw a crowd sometimes, but on a wave this good, it’s worth sharing.

Sunday the 20th morning is still very good – 5ft from the NW with an 11-second period and light east winds keeping it glassy. It’s a step down in size, but that means more manageable for a wider range of ability. Wave energy is moderate (629).

The start of the next week stays interesting. Monday the 21st offers more NW swell at 5ft with a nice 12-second period and super light ESE winds – that’s clean, surfable conditions. Wave energy is moderate (771).

Tuesday the 22nd morning is absolutely glassy – flat calm, no wind, with a 4ft NW swell and a 12-second period. That’s a dream session for anyone who can get out there, with low energy (396) meaning it’s not too pushy.

The window stretches toward the end of the month. Wednesday the 23rd has another glassy morning with 2ft from the NW but a very long 16-second period – that’ll produce some clean, lined-up runners at the point, even if it’s small. Energy is moderate (419).

The second week is a bit more of a mixed bag. Thursday the 24th gets a little bumpy with cross-onshore wind, and the quality fades until Saturday the 27th, where the swell dips right out. Sunday the 28th morning brings a fresh 4ft WNW swell with light north winds, so it’s back on the cards. The last couple of days of September offer some solid 7ft NW swell, but the wind patterns get inconsistent, so keep an eye on those local forecasts.

Overall, if you’ve got one session to chase, make it Saturday the 19th morning for the big, clean groundswell. But don’t sleep on that Tuesday the 22nd glass-off either.

Rusty.

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