Carcavelos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on the table for the Lisbon stretch over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a pretty grim run. We’re looking at a long stretch of nothing much. The first recommendation doesn’t pop up until Sunday, the 2nd of August, and even then it’s only barely surfable. Before that, from the 30th of July right through to the afternoon of the 1st of August, it’s all poor surf conditions with tiny, weak swells and messy winds. A real waste of time. So, a solid three-day gap with no reason to even check the cam.

Sunday, 2nd August finally shows a glimmer of life at Carcavelos. The morning session is the only thing worth mentioning. You’ve got a 4ft swell from the NNW with a short period of 7 seconds, and the wind is a gentle cross-offshore breeze from the NNW, keeping the surface clean. The combined energy is weak at 197. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The water temp is sitting at 68°, which is about average for this time of year.

The rest of the outlook is a drag. From the 3rd of August through to the 14th of August, nearly every session is flagged as poor surf. The winds are mostly cross-shore or cross-onshore, and while the swell bumps up a little here and there, the quality just isn’t there. The morning of the 7th of August offers another little 4ft window with clean conditions, but again, it’s just ordinary.

The only real standout, if you can call it that, is the Monday afternoon of the 10th of August. The swell jumps to 3ft from the NNW with a 9-second period, but the energy reading hits 305, which is the highest in the whole forecast. The problem? The wind is a fresh cross-shore from the NW at 19 mph, creating a lumpy cross-chop. It’s not clean, but it’s the most juice we’ll see. Then Friday the 14th of August sees the biggest swell of the run, hitting 5ft from the NNW, but with a period of only 6 seconds and a fresh cross-offshore wind. It’s still poor quality.

Bottom line: This is a tough block for paddle surfing. If you’re desperate, the Sunday morning of the 2nd of August is your best bet for a clean, small wave. Otherwise, the 10th of August has the most energy, but you’ll be battling the wind. For beginners, the swell never gets over 5ft, so it’s safe, but the conditions are so ordinary you’ll be frustrated. Honestly, with that cross-shore wind and weak swell, this setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer for most of the period.

Stay patient, keep an eye on the charts. It tends not to stay this poor for long.

Rusty.

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