
Surf Forecasts:
Faja da Areia surf forecast from 9 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 14 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 11s period, NNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 13 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period, NE swell with 477 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 14 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 11s period with NNW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Faja da Areia this week:
The surf forecast for Faja da Areia over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 14) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Faja da Areia in the next 16 days are 2.1m 8s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 13) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 10s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 12) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4PM (Mon 14th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 4PM (Mon 14th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Faja da Areia over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s cut through the noise and get straight to it. The next couple of weeks are a proper mixed bag with more waiting than surfing, but we do have a couple of moments that will make it worth your while. We're looking at a long stretch of nothing really clean, then a window of hope, and a few distant possibilities to keep on the radar. It's going to be a game of patience.
The immediate picture is pretty bleak. We've got Faja da Areia seeing some swell, but it's all getting chopped up by persistent light cross-onshore winds. It’s small, messy, and just not worth getting wet for. This holds through the first few days, up to and including the 13th. The surf is mushy, and the wind is a constant annoyance.
There’s a brief moment of interest on Monday the 14th. The morning is still a bit bumpy, but by the afternoon, the wind swings around to a light offshore breeze, and the ocean cleans right up. It's still a modest swell, around 3ft, but it's from the NNW with a long 11-second period. It's clean and lined up. That’s a definite highlight, a real chance to get some proper glassy runners. We're talking moderate energy here.
After that little burst, things go quiet again. The swell backs off, and the wind goes messy. It’s a few days of small, bumpy, and disappointing flatness. The surf, such as it is, is either too weak or too messy to be any fun. You’ll be better off doing something else.
The weekend of the 20th and 21st sees the swell push back, but it brings a stronger, chop-inducing wind with it. For Saturday the 20th, we've got 4-5ft but the wind is up and it's looking rough. That's pushing the size, but the quality is going to be poor. This is one of those times where it's going to look more interesting with a kite than a surfboard. The period is decent on the 20th, around 10 seconds, but that wind ruins it.
Then we go flat again. The last few days, from the 21st onward, are mostly a write-off, with small, weak swell and onshore winds. The one exception is the 24th. It's still small, around 2-3ft, but the wind is forecast to drop to nothing or a touch offshore, leaving the ocean glassy. It's a long way out, so you've got to call it a promising idea rather than a sure thing, but a totally glassy Faja da Areia with a small swell is a beautiful thing. It’s inconsistent, so you’ll be doing a bit of waiting, but clean small waves on a point are always a good story.
The water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year at 77° – that's noticeable but not crazy.
So, for the standouts, the call is simple. The Monday afternoon session on the 14th is the one to get excited about. Clean, with a little push and a long period – it’s the best bet of the window. And keep a distant eye on the 24th, but don't hold your breath for it. For the rest, be patient, be ready, and don't be afraid to sit this one out.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Wed morning, min 19°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 31°C on Mon morning, min 21°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NNW 11 | NNW 10 | N 12 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NNW 11 | NNW 11 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | ENE 8 | NW 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
95 | 68 | 40 | 65 | 77 | 100 | 152 | 192 | 253 | 323 | 344 | 452 | 444 | 365 | 277 | 197 | 180 | 114 | 81 | 44 | 57 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy |
High Tide | 1:34PM2.23m | 2:02AM2.08m | 2:15PM2.34m | 2:40AM2.16m | 2:54PM2.37m | 3:16AM2.19m | 3:30PM2.34m | 3:51AM2.16m | 4:05PM2.24m | 4:24AM2.10m | 4:40PM2.09m | 4:57AM1.99m | 5:14PM1.90m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:54PM0.04m | 8:02AM0.11m | 8:33PM-0.04m | 8:40AM0.04m | 9:08PM-0.06m | 9:16AM0.03m | 9:42PM-0.01m | 9:51AM0.06m | 10:13PM0.08m | 10:26AM0.15m | 10:45PM0.22m | 11:01AM0.28m | 11:16PM0.37m | ||||||||
7:47 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | |
— | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:16 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 27 | 22 | 26 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 26 | 26 | 21 | 28 | 29 | 26 | 31 | 31 | 25 | 30 | 30 | 25 |
Feels °C | 29 | 29 | 25 | 29 | 28 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 22 | 29 | 30 | 26 | 32 | 33 | 28 | 33 | 32 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 11 | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | N 11 | N 10 | N 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NNW 15 | NNW 13 | NNW 12 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 |
39 | 38 | 40 | 65 | 77 | 65 | 114 | 106 | 98 | 47 | 46 | 42 | 121 | 204 | 230 | 105 | 119 | 71 | 45 | 44 | 42 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | NNW 8 | N 13 | N 12 | NNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | N 10 | NW 13 | NNW 16 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NNE 7 | NNW 11 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | NW 11 |
11 | 11 | 10 | 24 | 53 | 100 | 30 | 33 | 54 | 31 | 7 | 26 | 25 | 32 | 30 | 73 | 180 | 114 | 81 | 44 | 57 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 16 | NNW 12 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 9 | NW 8 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | NNW 12 | NW 11 | NW 10 | N 8 | NNW 11 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNW 9 |
2 | 5 | 14 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 30 | 27 | 1 | 197 | 60 | 37 | 29 | 20 | 30 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
95 | 68 | 38 | 22 | 21 | 55 | 152 | 192 | 253 | 323 | 344 | 452 | 444 | 365 | 277 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 17 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 15 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Madeira | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Portugal | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Faja da Areia Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Faja da Areia provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Faja da Areia can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Faja da Areia surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Faja da Areia) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Faja da Areia may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Faja da Areia is 21 km (13 miles) from the city of Camara de Lobos. If you plan a holiday in Madeira, look for hotels and other accommodation in Camara de Lobos. Camara de Lobos has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










