Figueira da Foz - Buarcos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin' for the Buarcos stretch over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s a proper standout hidden in there if you’re patient.

Right now, the water temp is sitting at 68°F—about average for this time of year, so no need for a thick wetsuit unless you’re a real cold-blooded fish.

The overall pattern starts off pretty ordinary. The coming weekend and early next week look messy. Saturday morning (22 August) has a tiny 4ft swell from the NNW with a period of 9 seconds, but it’s clean and glassy with combined energy of only 320 (moderate). The problem is, the swell is small and the period is short, so it’s not gonna light up that point like it can. Sunday and Monday see bigger swell, up to 8ft, but the wind is cross-on or onshore and strong, with rain and storms—moderate to fresh breezes making it lumpy and choppy. Not your day.

Tuesday (25 August) morning cleans up again with glassy conditions and a 4ft swell from the W, but the period drops to 7 seconds, and combined energy sits at just 158 (weak). It’s surfable but very ordinary. The rest of the week stays poor with cross-on winds and messy conditions, even as the swell tries to build.

Now, here’s the one you’ve been waiting for. Friday morning, 28 August. This is the standout. The point at Buarcos (Portugal) will light up with a 8ft swell from the NW, a period of 12 seconds, and combined energy of 1787 (strong to very strong). That’s a proper groundswell. The wind is glassy, coming light from the NE at 3 mph. That’s clean, offshore conditions. The wave comment says excellent for experienced surfers—and that’s no joke. 8ft is big, and with a long 12-second period, it’ll have plenty of power and shape. This is a point break, which handles long-period groundswell beautifully. It’s not a beach break, so you won’t get the closeouts. Just be aware the crowd can be ‘sometimes’ an issue, so get there early. This is the best on offer, hands down.

After that, the following weekend (29-30 August) drops off quickly. The swell backs down to 5ft on Saturday and 3ft on Sunday, with clean cross-off winds but much lower energy. The rest of the first week of September looks small and weak, with only marginal to poor conditions. The surf fades away, and there’s a gap of several days with nothing worth paddling out for. There’s a small bump around 5-6 September with 5-6ft NW swell, but periods are short (8-9 seconds) and the wind is clean cross-off, so it’s just mediocre. Not your best bet.

So, for the whole 16-day window, Friday 28 August morning is the clear winner. Big, clean, powerful. The rest is either small, windy, or just plain average. That’s the call from here.

Rusty.

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