Carcavelos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for our stretch of coast at Carcavelos. The water temp is sittin' around 69°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a few days of nothing worth paddling out for. The first couple of days are a write-off, with small, weak swell and poor conditions. You’ll be staring at flat or messy lines. That’s the price of living here sometimes.

But hold on, because things start to get interesting on Saturday, August 15th. The swell is pumping up to 7 ft from the NW, with a short period of 8 seconds. The energy is moderate (579). The wind is a clean cross-off from the NNW, which should keep the faces tidy. The issue is this is getting a bit big for a beginner spot like Carcavelos; it’s pushing into that intermediate-to-expert zone. The combination of a clean offshore wind and a decent-sized NW swell makes this the most promising window in the near term. The crowd factor is "often," so expect plenty of company in the lineup.

Sunday morning, August 16th, is another standout. The swell drops slightly to 7 ft from the NNW, still a short 9-second period, but hold on – the wind swings around to a light east breeze, only 10 mph. That’s near glassy, and it’s a cross-off wind. The energy is strong (710). This is likely the cleanest, most fun session of this first week for the more experienced crew. Saturday and Sunday mornings are the ones to circle on the calendar.

Then we hit a dry spell. From Sunday afternoon right through to the end of the following week, the conditions turn sour. The wind swings onshore or cross-onshore, the swell becomes messy, and the scores are all zeros. There’s a long gap of poor surf that stretches from the afternoon of the 16th all the way through to the end of the week. It’s a frustrating stretch of onshore wind and chop, with a few marginal moments but nothing worth a full recommendation.

However, looking further ahead to Friday, August 28th, the charts start to rumble again. The swell is jumping up to 7 ft from the NW, but the period lengthens to 11 seconds – proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is very strong (2123). The wind is a clean cross-off from the NNW. This is a big, powerful swell, and at this size, it’s definitely for experts only. The same goes for Saturday, August 29th, when the swell peaks at 12 ft from the NNW with a very long 14-second period, creating massive energy (4308). That’s a serious, heavy groundswell that will be breaking straight and fast at the beach. These are long-range standouts, so keep your fingers crossed, but the potential is huge for the brave ones.

So, to wrap it up: Don’t bother until Saturday morning, August 15th. That morning and Sunday morning, the 16th, are your best early bets. Then a long, dry run of cruddy surf. The real fireworks are forecast for the end of the month, August 28th and 29th, but that’s one for the big-wave crew only.

Stay stoked, and keep your eye on the horizon.

Rusty.

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