Figueira da Foz - Buarcos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a slow start, a few days of underwhelming surf, and then things start to wake up with some proper swell pushing through. There will be windows, but you gotta pick your moments.

The first week is looking pretty flat and weak. The energy is just not there. We’re looking at a few days where it’s surfable but pretty ordinary, and then a lot of poor conditions. The swell that does show up is short-period and weak – the sort of stuff that makes you check the surf cam twice and decide it’s not worth it.

The real story starts to develop around the back half of the second week. A longer period swell starts to fill in, with more energy behind it. That’s when we start talking.

Now, let’s talk about the break. Buarcos (Figueira da Foz) is a point break here. It’s an advanced wave, and it’s inconsistent, which is worth remembering. It's exposed to a WSW swell, so the direction matters. The water temp is sitting right around average for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

First off, Friday morning (August 7th) offers a small, clean wave. Swell is around 3ft from the NNW with a period of 8 seconds. The wind is light and off-shore, which keeps it clean, but the wave energy is weak, at 134. It’s surfable, but honestly, it’s a groveler. Not worth getting too excited about.

Saturday (August 8th) is a write-off. The swell drops right off, and the energy is almost nothing at 44. There’s nothing to ride.

Sunday (August 9th) morning has a slight pickup. Swell is a bit over 2.5ft from the west, with a period of 7 seconds. It’s glassy, which is a huge plus, but the energy is still weak at 114. It’s another one of those mornings where you’ll get some rides but have to work for them.

The rest of the week from Monday the 10th through to Wednesday the 12th is more of the same. Small, weak, and mostly wind-affected. There are some clean windows, like Monday morning with the NNW cross-off, but the swell is just too small to be meaningful. You’re looking at 2ft to 3ft waves with periods under 9 seconds. Not worth planning a session around.

Thursday morning (August 13th) stays small, and the wind is cross-shore. The light cross-off on Friday morning (August 14th) brings a slight improvement, with a 3ft swell from the WNW and a period of 9 seconds. This is the best of a bad bunch in the early part, but still just a 2/10 situation.

Now, Saturday morning (August 15th) starts to show a pulse of life. Swell jumps to around 4.5ft, but it’s only a 6-second period, and the energy is moderate at 218. Wind is light and cross-shore, creating ripples. This feels more like a choppy mess than a clean wave. The afternoon is a complete drop-off.

Sunday (August 16th) morning is blown out with a fresh cross-off wind, but it’s the afternoon you need to watch. The swell jumps up to over 6ft from the NW, with a 7-second period and energy at 311. It’s windy and onshore, and the period is short, so it’s likely to be a bit of a mess. For us surfers, this looks more like a kitesurfing day, to be honest.

The real standout is Monday morning, August 17th. This is the day. The swell is nearly 7ft from the NNW, period 8 seconds, and combined energy is a strong 477. The wind is a clean cross-off at 9 mph. This has the size and the power, and the conditions are clean. Buarcos at 7ft with offshore wind is a different beast entirely. This is the best of the window.

After that, we're into a strong pulse but with more wind. Tuesday morning (August 18th) is still good, over 6ft from the NNW, but the wind is up to 16 mph. It’s still cross-off and clean, but a lot more juice in the air. Wednesday (August 19th) and Thursday (August 20th) mornings have similar size and energy, but the wind is fresh and strong. The surf will be there, but the conditions will be more challenging. The energy is high, at 468 and 560 respectively, but the 16-19 mph winds will make it a battle.

Then we come to the final standout, Friday morning (August 21st). After a few days of onshore wind, the wind drops right off to a light 6 mph cross-off. The swell is still solid at around 5.5ft from the NNW, with a 7-second period and good energy of 390. This is another great morning. The wind is light, the swell is solid, and it should be clean and lined up. This is the other one to circle in the calendar.

So, the plan is simple. Friday the 14th is the best of the first week,

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