Carcavelos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s shaping up for our local patch over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, the first few days are a bit of a write-off – we’ve got a real flat spell on our hands. The swell is small, and the wind is mostly cross-off, which is a tease because it’s clean but there’s just no power. From the 10th through the 13th, we’re looking at knee-to-waist high dribble with weak energy, and it’s just not worth paddling out. It’s a bit of a slow start, but don’t let it get you down – these things never last forever.

The first real glimmer of hope shows up on the morning of Friday, 14th August. The swell starts to push a bit, but it’s still a bit jumbled. The real standout, the one you want to circle on your calendar, is Saturday morning, 15th August. Carcavelos is going to see a nice jump in size to about 3.6 ft from the NW, with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy is a solid 482, which is a nice moderate push. The wind is a light breeze from the NNW, keeping it cross-off and clean. This is your window for some fun, rippable waves before the crowds wake up. It’s a beginner-friendly spot, but it’s often crowded, so get there early.

That clean spell doesn’t last long. The afternoon on Saturday gets a bit messy with a cross-shore breeze, and then Sunday the 16th sees some onshore wind. The swell stays in the 5.6 ft to 6.2 ft range, but the wind is the spoiler.

Now, the next real highlight is a magic morning. Tuesday, 18th August – the morning session is going to be absolute glass. The wind is a perfect 0 mph, dead calm, and the swell is a clean 4.6 ft from the NNW. The water temp is sitting at a normal 69.1° for the time of year, so the wetsuit is fine. This is a morning for long, drawn-out lines. It’s a bit bigger than the weekend, so it might be a touch more challenging for the absolute beginners.

The second week gets a bit mixed. We see a pulse of bigger swell rolling in around Friday, 21st August, with 6.6 ft to 6.9 ft from the NNW. But the wind is onshore, and while the energy is strong, the conditions are marginal. The swell is actually getting a bit too big for the break, and it’s likely going to be a close-out mess, better suited for the kite surfers than a paddle session.

The end of the run is a bit of a wildcard. Sunday, 23rd August morning looks promising again with a clean 5.9 ft from the NNW and a light cross-off breeze, but it’s a short-period swell (6 seconds), so it’s a bit of a fat, walled-up wave. Then Monday, 24th August morning sees a big jump to 7.9 ft, with a massive 888 energy reading. But again, the swell is predicted to be too big for this break, and the wind is a strong 18.6 mph. This is big, powerful, and thumping – definitely only for the experts who know the bank, and even then, it’s a beast.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a slow burn, but the mornings of Saturday the 15th and Tuesday the 18th are your best bets for clean, fun waves. The second week is more about size and power, with a lot of wind and swell that’s borderline too big for the spot.

Stay stoked, and I’ll see you in the water.

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