Faja da Areia Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your coffee, listen up. Rusty here.

First up, the only game in town we’re looking at over the next couple weeks is Faja da Areia. It’s a point break, it’s inconsistent, so don’t expect magic every day. It’s a spot that needs the stars to line up, and honestly, for the first week and a half, the stars are pretty stubborn.

Right now, on Thursday the 13th, we’ve got tiny, weak swell around 3ft from the WNW. It’s cross-on with a light breeze, and the water’s sitting at 77°, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year. But that’s about the only good news – the surf itself is a no-go. That carries right through the weekend. Friday the 14th through Sunday the 16th sees the swell pick up a bit, pushing 5ft to 6ft, but it’s short-period junk from the NE and NNE, and the wind stays cross-on or even onshore. The wave energy is moderate (values between 206 and 439), but it’s all messy. Not worth paddling out for.

There’s a bit of a tease early next week. Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th, the swell holds around 5ft to 6ft from the NNE with a period of 9 seconds. Combined energy is moderate to strong (415 to 512). The real highlight is Tuesday morning the 18th when the wind goes glassy. That’s a major positive – clean conditions for a point break, but it’s still short-period swell coming from the wrong direction. The optimum swell here is from the NNW, and we’re getting NNE, so the waves won’t have that perfect shape. It’s a marginal call, but if you’re desperate, Tuesday morning at first light is your best bet of the early run.

Wednesday the 19th morning is also glassy with 4ft swell, but again, it’s small and the direction’s off. After that, we hit a dry stretch. From Thursday the 20th all the way through to Wednesday the 27th, it’s a long gap of poor to marginal conditions. The swell stays small (3ft to 6ft), periods are short, and the wind is mostly cross-on or onshore. There’s nothing to recommend in that whole week.

The end of the 16-day window gets interesting. On Thursday, August 28th, we finally see a pulse. Swell jumps to 8ft from the NNE, with a period of 8 seconds. That’s a solid size, probably a bit much for beginners – it’s getting into the expert zone. The combined energy rockets up to 869-914, which is strong wave energy. But there’s a catch: the wind is still light cross-on, and that NNE direction isn’t ideal for this spot. It’s a marginal call with a score that suggests it might be worth a look, but it’s a long way out and not certain. Keep an eye on it, but don’t book your flights yet.

Bottom line: if you’re set on Faja da Areia, Tuesday morning the 18th with glassy conditions is the standout in the near term. The end of the month on the 28th has the size but less certainty. For everything else, you’re sitting on the beach.

Rusty.

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