Faja da Areia Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. This is Rusty, checking in from the Azores.

We’ve got a bit of a slow burner on our hands for the next couple of weeks. The real action is all focused on one spot, and it’s a bit of a hidden gem that only works when the planets align. We’re talking about Faja da Areia, a point break that’s famously inconsistent, but when it turns on, it’s special. The wait starts now, with the first real window of quality surf arriving this Saturday, the 4th of July.

Saturday morning is the standout of the whole outlook. We’re looking at a clean 5ft swell from the NNE, with a 10-second period. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the east at just 3 mph, keeping things super clean. The wave energy is moderate at 466, and the water temp is about average for the time of year. This is the best it gets here. The afternoon holds onto that glassy feel, with swell dropping a touch to 5ft, but still with that clean energy. The only downside is that this spot is inconsistent, so it doesn’t fire often, and when it’s good, you can expect crowds. But for a Saturday with glassy conditions and a solid 5ft groundswell, it’s the one to be at.

Sunday the 5th drops off significantly. Morning has glassy conditions with a smaller 3ft NNE swell, period dropping to 8 seconds, and energy at 215. It’s surfable and clean, but nothing special. The afternoon gets a bit weird with a glassy west wind, but the swell is the same size and dropping energy to 160. It’s ordinary.

From Monday the 6th onwards, things get quiet. Swell size keeps dropping each day, with Monday morning at 2ft and energy down to 103, still glassy though. By Tuesday the 7th, we’re down to 1ft with barely any energy—just 44. That’s a dead spell. From there right through to the 11th of July, it’s mostly flat or tiny, with poor conditions and light cross-onshore winds. A gap of several days with nothing worth paddling out for.

A little bump shows around the 12th of July, with a cross-onshore 4ft swell from the NNW and 8-second period, but the wind is up to 9 mph and it’s described as poor surf conditions. Not a good look. This trend continues for most of the second week—bigger swells between 5ft and 6ft, but every time the wind is cross-onshore or onshore, and the wave energy is moderate to strong (273 to 436), but the quality just isn’t there. The 13th and 14th of July see some real size, up to 5ft and 5ft, but with dirty conditions.

By the time we hit Saturday the 18th, it’s back down to under 3ft, and the outlook fades out. There’s a marginal hint on Sunday the 19th with a 4ft NNW swell and some energy coming back at 281, but it’s still cross-onshore. Hard to get excited.

In short: don’t sleep on Saturday July 4th at Faja da Areia. That morning session with glassy 5ft NNE swell is the clear highlight. The rest of the run is either flat, messy, or too small. If you miss Saturday, you might be waiting a while. This spot doesn’t stay poor forever, but this stretch looks like a long one.

Rusty.

Read more