Faja da Areia Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag, and we’re going to have to be patient. The surf is going to be small and generally pretty weak for the first week, but we’ve got a window of cleaner, more consistent waves building as we head into the second week. It’s not going to be a classic, but there's a couple of windows worth getting excited about.

Right now, the ocean is pretty quiet. We’re looking at ankle to knee-high stuff, around 2ft, with a weak west-northwest swell and a short period of 8 seconds. The energy is weak, way down at 62. The water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year at 76°, which is a small anomaly but nothing to worry about. The wind is light and glassy, which is nice, but there’s just not enough oomph in the water to make it worth your while at Faja da Areia. It’s surfable, but very ordinary.

The next few days follow the same script. Wednesday and Thursday morning are still small, around 3ft, with a slightly better period of 10 seconds. The energy comes up a bit to 176-210, but it’s still not enough to get excited about. The wind is light, but a little cross-shore, which just messes with the already weak surf. We’re just not getting any push.

Over the weekend and into early next week, it drops off even more. We’re looking at 2ft surf with periods dropping down to 5-7 seconds. The energy is really weak, down in the 30s and 60s. The wind is onshore or cross-onshore, which turns these already poor conditions into a complete write-off. This is a definite gap in the forecast, a few days where I wouldn't even bother paddling out.

But hang on, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Things start to shuffle around the middle of next week. We see a bit more size on the 12th, around 3ft, but the wind is still ugly and it’s still poor quality. Then the swell starts to build for the end of the week. On the 14th and 15th, we’re looking at 5-6ft, but it's from the northeast and the period is short, 6-7 seconds. The energy is getting stronger, up into the 240-298 range, but the cross-onshore wind and short period mean it’s still not clean. It's going to be a bit of a mess.

Now, the standout window. The 16th and 17th are when it all starts to come together. On the morning of the 16th, we finally see the wind drop to glassy, and the swell is a clean 5ft from the northeast. The energy is moderate at 217, and the conditions are described as "good." That’s what we want to hear. The 17th is even better. Swell bumps up slightly to 5-5ft, and the period stretches to 8 seconds. The energy is strong at 317-354, with the wind going totally calm and glassy. This is the day to be out there. The northeast swell is right in line with what this spot wants, and with the clean conditions, it’s going to be well-shaped and fun.

The run continues into the morning of the 18th, with 5ft surf and glassy conditions, energy at 268. Still good. The 19th is interesting, too. The swell drops back down to 3ft, but the period jumps to 12 seconds, and the energy is very strong at 386. That’s a long-period groundswell and it’s going to make the most of that small size. It might be a bit lined up, but at a point break like this, it could be a lot of fun. The wind is still light and glassy in the morning, so it’s worth a look.

So, to sum it up. The first week is a washout. The real promise is from the 16th through the 18th, with the 17th looking like the pick of the bunch. It’s still a week and a half away, so don't book the time off just yet, but the forecast is promising. The call is for a clean, fun northeast swell right in the 5-5ft range. Keep your fingers crossed the wind stays light.

Rusty out.

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