Surf Forecasts:
Faja da Areia surf forecast from 1 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 5 Sep, 10AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period, NNE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 11s period, NNW swell with 433 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 5 Sep, 10AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period with NNE 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 Saturday (Sep 05) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 6s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Faja da Areia in the next 16 days are 1.3m 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 16s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Faja da Areia over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's dig into what's brewing for the Azores.
We've got a bit of a tricky window ahead. The best bet is actually at the tail end of the forecast – a nice, clean, long-period groundswell showing up later in the second week. Until then, it's a lot of onshore wind and ordinary conditions to sift through.
Faja da Areia is the only spot on the cards, and it's an inconsistent point break, so patience will be the name of the game. It's exposed to a NNW direction, which is exactly the optimum direction for this spot.
The water is currently sitting at 76°, which is about 2° warmer than usual for this time of year – not radical, but a nice little anomaly.
Looking at the next few days, from Tuesday the 1st right through to the weekend, it's a grind. We're looking at small swell, mostly around the 3 ft to 5 ft mark, but the wind is a persistent light cross-onshore from the NE. The wave energy is weak to moderate (127-253), and the period is short, under 8 seconds. This is just messy, small, wind-affected surf. I wouldn't bother even paddling out.
There's a tiny window on Saturday morning, the 5th, where the wind goes glassy, with a 3 ft NNE swell. The energy is weak (118), but those glassy conditions are a major positive. You might find a fun crumbly wave with absolutely no wind, but the size is tiny. It's a very ordinary session.
The first week is a write-off for anything decent. We then roll into a string of days from the 7th to the 9th with more size, pushing 5 ft to 6 ft, but the cross-onshore NE wind and short period (7 seconds) keep it crap. Wave energy gets moderate to strong (318-746), but the quality is zero. The swell direction is also off, coming from NE and ENE instead of the ideal NNW.
Then, a shift. On the morning of Tuesday the 15th of September, this is the standout. The wind goes glassy, clean as a whistle. We get a 3 ft groundswell from the north with a very long 12-second period. The energy is moderate (300). This is a proper point-break kind of swell. The long period means better-shaped waves and more grunt, and with that glassy wind, it's going to be absolutely clean. The earlier inconsistent nature of the break is a worry, but when it ticks, this is the one to aim for. It's the best on offer by a country mile.
The following day, the 16th, still has a clean, glassy morning with a 3 ft WNW swell and a 10-second period, but the energy drops right off (178). There's a wave, but it'll be very ordinary compared to Tuesday.
So, to be blunt: it’s pretty poor for the first 13 days. The only true highlight is that clean, long-period session on Tuesday the 15th. With this spot being inconsistent, it might not fire, but the conditions will be perfect if it does. Don't get your hopes up for the rest.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Thu morning, min 20°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Fri morning, min 19°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NNW 10 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | WNW 9 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NW 12 | NE 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
103 | 116 | 116 | 132 | 165 | 224 | 200 | 153 | 113 | 85 | 73 | 53 | 62 | 53 | 68 | 137 | 164 | 240 | 284 | 396 | 371 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 5:16PM2.05m | 5:40AM1.93m | 6:00PM1.90m | 6:28AM1.81m | 6:56PM1.73m | 7:31AM1.69m | 8:14PM1.58m | 9:00AM1.62m | 9:57PM1.54m | 10:37AM1.69m | 11:27PM1.64m | 11:52AM1.86m | 00:31AM1.80m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:02AM0.22m | 11:26PM0.24m | 11:44AM0.33m | 00:09AM0.38m | 12:36PM0.47m | 1:05AM0.54m | 1:49PM0.60m | 2:26AM0.67m | 3:32PM0.64m | 4:09AM0.68m | 5:11PM0.54m | 5:34AM0.56m | 6:20PM0.36m | ||||||||
7:41 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | |
— | 8:32 | — | — | 8:31 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:28 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:24 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 25 | 21 | 26 | 26 | 20 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 28 | 27 | 22 | 28 | 27 | 22 | 27 | 27 | 20 | 26 | 25 | 20 |
Feels °C | 26 | 27 | 22 | 27 | 28 | 21 | 29 | 28 | 25 | 30 | 30 | 25 | 31 | 29 | 25 | 28 | 29 | 21 | 27 | 26 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NNW 12 | NNW 11 | NW 12 | NW 12 | NW 11 |
103 | 75 | 65 | 65 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 153 | 113 | 85 | 73 | 53 | 48 | 50 | 34 | 36 | 119 | 138 | 256 | 396 | 273 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | NNW 9 | N 8 | N 8 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | NW 11 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | NNW 12 | N 11 | NNW 11 |
23 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 27 | 21 | 20 | 49 | 41 | 32 | 38 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 4 | 30 | 26 | 16 | 145 | 88 | 22 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | S 12 | NW 11 | NNW 10 | N 14 | N 11 | NW 12 | WNW 10 | S 11 | S 11 |
— | 5 | 5 | 5 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 9 | 35 | 61 | 2 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | — | — | — | NNE 7 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 |
88 | 116 | 116 | 132 | 165 | 224 | 200 | — | — | — | 70 | 51 | 62 | 53 | 68 | 137 | 164 | 240 | 284 | 292 | 371 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 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.











