Figueira da Foz - Buarcos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Figueira da Foz – Buarcos over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the first few days are a write-off. The wind is a mess, and the ocean is a lumpy, cross-chop nightmare. We’re looking at a rough patch from Sunday, the 23rd of August, right through until Thursday morning. The swell is there, but it’s junk. The water temp is sitting at about 66°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Things start to look a little more interesting on Thursday afternoon, the 27th. The wind swings cross-shore from the WNW and we’ve got a 7ft swell from the same direction, with a period of 8 seconds. The energy is moderate (585). It’s still a bit chunky, but it’s on the edge of being surfable. Then Friday, the 28th, brings a bigger pulse. The morning has a clean 8ft NW swell with a long 11-second period, and the energy is strong (1828). The wind is light from the SSE, so it’s nearly glassy. This is a big one – over 8ft, so this is expert territory only. This swell is a long-period groundswell, which means it’ll wrap into Buarcos nicely, but it’ll be fat and powerful. It’s the best of the early window.

The standout, though, is Saturday morning, the 29th of August. The wind goes glassy, dead calm from the NE. The swell drops to a more manageable 5ft from the NW, still with a decent 10-second period. The wave energy is moderate (489). This is the cleanest it’s going to get. The water will be like a mirror, and the waves will have real shape. Get on it early. Keep in mind, Buarcos can get a crowd, so expect some company.

After that, the surf drops away significantly. Sunday the 30th through to Thursday the 3rd of September is small, weak, and mostly ordinary. The swell dips below 3ft, and the energy is weak. The wind is clean, off-shore, but there’s just not enough swell to make it worthwhile. It’s a long gap of nothing special.

Then, we get a promising pulse on Saturday morning, the 5th of September. A clean 5ft NW swell with a short 7-second period, but the wind is offshore from the NE and the energy is moderate (296). It’ll be clean and fun. The real long-range call is Sunday morning, the 6th of September. A solid 7ft NNW swell, 8-second period, with clean cross-offshore wind. The energy is strong (670). This is the standout of the second week, but it’s a week and a half away, so keep your fingers crossed. The following Monday morning, the 7th, is also big, with a 6ft NW swell and a very long 12-second period. The energy is very strong (2040). Again, this is for experts only, and with that long period, it’ll be a bit straight at a beach break, but Buarcos is a point, so it should handle it.

For the average punter, your best bet is the glassy Saturday morning, the 29th of August. For the big-wave chargers, Sunday morning, the 6th of September, is one to watch.

Rusty.

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