Faja da Areia Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a good look at what’s coming up for Faja da Areia over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a slow burner, so don’t get your hopes up for the first week, but there’s a serious pulse of energy building for the second week that could be a real standout.

The pattern starts off pretty quiet. We’ve got a small NW swell rolling in on Saturday the 11th, but it’s only 5 ft with a short 8-second period and a cross-on wind from the NW at 9 mph. The combined energy is weak (294), and it’s going to be choppy. Honestly, not worth paddling out for. The water temp is sitting at 74°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t be freezing while you’re sitting there waiting for a clean one.

Sunday the 12th and Monday the 13th are still marginal. Sunday morning has a 5 ft NW swell, still short period (9 seconds), and a light cross-shore breeze. The energy is moderate (418), but the conditions are just not clean enough to get excited about. Monday morning on the 13th is the first real tease: glassy conditions with a light W wind at 3 mph, and a 4 ft NW swell. The energy drops to 154 though, and the period is only 8 seconds. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. After that, we hit a flat spell from Tuesday the 14th through to Friday the 17th. We’re looking at tiny waves, 1 ft to 4 ft, with very low energy (31 to 109). Some glassy mornings, but the swell just isn’t there. That’s a solid 4-day gap with nothing worth mentioning.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The second week kicks off with a proper ramp-up. Saturday the 18th sees a NE swell building to 5 ft, with a 7-second period and moderate energy (222). The wind is cross-on from the NNE at 6 mph, still not perfect, but the size is coming up. The real standout window starts on Sunday the 19th. We’ve got a 7 ft swell from the NE, period bumping up to 8 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 649 (moderate). By Sunday afternoon, the wind switches to a clean offshore from the NNE at 6 mph, and the swell hits 8 ft. That’s the best call of the whole forecast. The direction is NE, and the optimum for this point is NNW, so it’s a little off-angle, but the offshore wind and solid size will make for some punchy, clean rights. This is a point break, and it’s inconsistent, so you’ll get lulls between sets, but when they come through, they’ll be worth the wait. Keep in mind that 8 ft is getting into expert territory, so if you’re a beginner, this one is for the experienced crew.

Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st keep the size going, with 8 ft to 10 ft NE swells, and the energy is strong (1024 to 1526). The wind stays light and cross-on or offshore, but the period is still short at 9 seconds. For a point break, that’s fine, but it will be a bit raw. Wednesday the 22nd through Thursday the 23rd sees the swell dropping slowly, from 8 ft back to 7 ft, with periods stretching to 10 seconds. The energy is still strong (1237 to 1110), but the wind is cross-on. It’s still surfable, but the peak quality is definitely Sunday the 19th.

By Friday the 24th and into the weekend of the 25th and 26th, the swell fades to 4 ft to 5 ft, with the wind turning offshore from the N and NNE. The period drops back to 8-9 seconds, and the energy is weak to moderate (277 to 325). It’s a poor end to the run, with the conditions turning marginal again.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a write-off. The best of the three weeks is Sunday the 19th, with a solid 8 ft NE swell and offshore wind. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. The rest of the second week has plenty of size, but the wind isn’t as clean. Keep your eyes on that Sunday.

Stay stoked,
Rusty

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