Carcavelos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a coffee and listen up. Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for the next couple of weeks. For Carcavelos, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, honestly. The water is sitting at 68°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The next few days are a write-off. We’ve got a bit of a lull setting in. From Monday morning right through to Wednesday afternoon, the swell is small and the wind is all wrong – onshore or cross-onshore, making for messy, choppy conditions. Not worth paddling out for. Thursday morning is a tease, with a tiny 2 ft swell from the WNW and clean conditions, but it's just too small to get excited about. Then Thursday afternoon the wind jumps up to 19 mph, so scrap that idea.

We’ve got a gap of poor conditions until things start looking up on Friday, the 21st of August. The morning kicks off with a solid 7 ft NW swell. The wind is clean, cross-off from the NNW, but look, that’s getting big for a beginner spot like Carcavelos. It’s going to be a powerful one, with combined energy hitting 688 (moderate energy). The wave period is only 8 seconds, so it’s short-period wind swell, meaning it’ll be a bit lumpy and less consistent. This one is definitely for the more experienced crew.

Saturday the 22nd brings a drop in size to 6 ft, still from the NNW, but the wind is up to 16 mph in the afternoon, creating a bit of a cross-chop. Not great.

Then we hit a decent run from Sunday, the 23rd of August, through Tuesday, the 25th. Sunday morning is a standout – 5 ft swell from the NNW, light 6 mph cross-off wind, and the forecast is calling for good surf conditions. The combined energy is 370 (moderate), and the period is 8 seconds. It’s not perfect, but it’s the cleanest we’ll see for a while. Monday the 24th morning is also clean with 6 ft, but the wind is a bit stronger at 12 mph. Tuesday the 25th morning is another good one, with 5 ft and a light NNE breeze.

Now, hold onto your board. The real standout is shaping up for Saturday, the 29th of August. We’re looking at a proper overhead swell. Saturday morning has 8 ft from the NW, light N wind, and energy readings are through the roof at 2260 – that’s strong wave energy. The afternoon is even bigger, with 10 ft from the NW and a 14-second period, energy hitting 3892. This is a long-period groundswell, and it’s going to be way too big for Carcavelos for most people. Sunday the 30th is still massive, with 8 ft and 7 ft swells, and the combined energy remains very high (1281 and 1449). This is all expert territory, and the long period will make it a bit shifty on the beach break. It’s promising, but it’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it.

So, to wrap it up: the best bet for the average surfer is Sunday morning, the 23rd of August, for the cleanest conditions. For the big-wave chargers, mark your calendar for Saturday, the 29th of August, but be ready for some serious power.

Rusty.

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