Faja da Areia Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s in store for the next couple of weeks.

The short version is: it’s a slow start, then a whole lot of energy shows up, but the wind’s going to be a problem for a while. The first real chance to score something decent doesn’t come until the very end of the month.

Faja da Areia is the only spot in the mix, and it’s a point break that’s inconsistent, so don’t get your hopes up for it to be firing every day. It’s wide open to the swell, but it really needs a north-northwest direction to get it right. The water’s sitting at about 75°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – nice, but not a big deal.

We’ve got a long dry spell ahead. From Friday the 17th all the way through the 22nd, there’s simply nothing worth paddling out for. Tiny waves, cross-onshore breezes, and the combined energy is barely a whisper. You’re better off on the sand.

We start to see a pulse on the 23rd of July, with wave heights climbing to about 4ft and the period stretching to 8 seconds. The energy is starting to come up, but the reports are all “marginal” – the wind is still cross-on or onshore, and the quality just isn’t there. This carries on through the 24th and 25th. The swell gets bigger, hitting 6ft and even 6ft by the 26th, with the energy climbing, but the wind remains a persistent cross-onshore, which is a real bummer for a point break. The waves are there, but they’ll be a mess.

By the 27th of July, we’re into solid surf, with 8ft to 8ft waves from the NE. The energy is strong, but the wind has picked up to a gentle breeze, still cross-onshore, and it’s described as “fairly choppy.” This is where it gets interesting for a different kind of waterman – that’s a lot of swell, but the surf quality is poor. For a paddle surfer, this is a headache. For a kite surfer, that setup with cross-onshore wind and a lot of open water is looking like a proper playground.

The real standout, the one that’s got me a little excited, is the last day of the forecast on the 1st of August. Saturday morning, we’re looking at a solid 10ft swell from the north-northeast, with the period bumping up to 9 seconds. The combined energy is massive. The wind is light and, importantly, it’s blowing *on* shore. For a point break like Faja da Areia, that onshore wind means the waves will be a bit bumpy, and at 10ft, this is strictly for the experts only. The period is a solid 9 seconds, which is decent, but not a super-long groundswell, so it should still wall up nicely. It’s a long way off, so take it with a grain of salt, but if that forecast holds, it’s the only session worth pointing a board at. The 31st of July also has a nice 6ft to 5ft pulse with a 12-second period for the afternoon, which is a very long period groundswell – that’s the kind of energy that wraps around points beautifully, but it’s a little overshadowed by the Saturday monster.

So, bottom line: it’s a grind. The first week and a half is a write-off. The end of the first week of August is the only real window, and it’s for the big dogs. If you’re not an expert, stay on the beach. If you want to fly a kite, the whole last week looks like a blast.

Rusty.

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