Carcavelos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the next couple of weeks. The first few days are pretty flat and messy, not really worth paddling out for. We’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands, but the second half of the week starts to show some life, and there’s a real big one lurking way out there.

It’s gonna be a slow start. We’re looking at Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th with poor, weak windswell – only around 2 ft to 4 ft from the WNW, with a short, weak period of 5-6 seconds and a combined energy of just 68 to 131. That’s barely enough to get your feet wet, and the wind is messy cross-shore. Not worth your time.

Saturday the 25th, the swell picks up a touch to 5 ft from the NW, but the period is still a short 7 seconds. The morning is clean with a cross-offshore breeze, but it’s still only a marginal call. The afternoon gets blown out by a fresh cross-shore. Sunday the 26th has a similar story: 6 ft swell from the NNW in the morning, energy climbing to 398, but the wind is still not quite right for a good session.

Then we hit the sweet spot. Monday morning, July 27th, is the first real standout. Carcavelos goes glassy – zero wind, a calm sea. The swell is a clean 4 ft from the NNW with a 7-second period and a combined energy of 219. That’s going to be a proper, fun morning. The water temp is sitting at 69°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Tuesday morning, July 28th, is another cracker. The swell holds at 4 ft from the NNW, but the period stretches to 8 seconds, giving it a bit more push. The morning is clean with a light cross-offshore breeze, and energy is a solid 228. This is your best bet for the near-term.

We get a bit of a lull in quality after that. Wednesday and Thursday are just ordinary, with a few surfable but messy windows. The morning of Friday, August 1st, is clean with a 4 ft NW swell and 8-second period, energy at 230, but it’s getting into the second week now, so it’s a little less certain.

Now, the big one. Sunday, August 2nd, into Monday, August 3rd, the swell absolutely hammers the coast. We’re looking at 8 ft to 10 ft from the NNW with a period of 8-9 seconds. The combined energy readings are massive – 745, 862, and even 1084 by Monday morning. The wind is favorable, but here’s the catch: this is Carcavelos, a beginner-friendly beach break. At over 8 ft, this is strictly for experts only. The swell is predicted to be too big for this break, so if you’re not a very experienced surfer, stay on the beach and watch. This is a big, powerful, and potentially dangerous setup.

The period on these bigger swells is only 8 seconds, so it’s not a super clean long-period groundswell, but the raw power is undeniable. After that, the swell backs off through Tuesday and Wednesday, dropping back to 3 ft by Wednesday the 5th, and the energy fades away.

So, to wrap it up: Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th are your best calls for clean, fun, manageable waves. The big event on the 2nd and 3rd is for the brave and the skilled only. Everything else is a bit of a write-off.

Rusty.

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