Faja da Areia Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, let's talk about what we've got coming up. The next couple weeks are a bit of a slow burn. There’s a long, quiet stretch to start, a real dry spell where the ocean’s mostly just going through the motions. Not a lot of energy, and the wind’s not helping. But don't get too down, because the back half of this period has some serious meat on it. It looks like the swell machine finally wakes up.

We start things off at Fajã da Areia on Thursday the 6th. The water's a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, about 77°, which is nice. But the surf is weak. We're looking at 3ft of north swell at about 9 seconds. The energy is moderate at best, just 142. There's a light cross-shore breeze messing up the surface. It’s a bad start, and with this break being inconsistent, you’re better off doing something else.

Friday the 7th isn't much better. Still a weak 2ft from the north. It goes glassy for a minute in the morning, but the swell is just too small. The afternoon goes a bit offshore, but it's still practically flat. That's a two-day gap right there where you won't need your board.

And that gap keeps going. Saturday and Sunday are poor. The swell drops to around 2ft and the period gets short. Monday the 10th sees a slight bump to 3ft, but it’s crossed-up and weak. You’re looking at a long run of days where the surf is just not surfable.

The middle of the week, the 11th and 12th, is still poor. There’s a hint of something on Tuesday afternoon when it goes glassy and a touch of west-northwest swell at 3ft shows up, but it's still ordinary. Not worth getting excited about.

Then, from the 13th through the 14th, we get a similar tune. Slightly better direction, but still the same story. Small, weak swell, and a cross-onshore wind. You might find a crumbly wave, but nothing with any punch.

Here's where the change comes in. Around the 15th of August, the swell shifts to the northeast and starts to build. We're talking 5ft, though the period drops to a short 6 seconds. The energy is climbing, getting into the 200s, but the wind is still cross-onshore. It’s still not great, but you can feel something coming.

The 16th keeps the size around 5ft to 5ft, but it’s onshore. The energy builds to 267. This is the kind of day where you might wish you had a kite instead of a paddle. The faces are bumpy and the period is too short for a clean ride.

The real building starts on the 17th and 18th. The size jumps to around 6ft, and the period slowly stretches to 7 seconds. The combined energy is getting strong, moving from 324 up to 390. The wind is still cross-onshore, so it’s going to be a bit wild and wooly.

Now for the standout window: Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th. This is the one to circle. We’ve got a solid swell filling in, pushing 7ft to 8ft out of the north-northeast. The period is up to 9 seconds, giving it some real power. The energy is cranking, with readings in the 722 to 920 range. That’s some serious ocean. The wind is still a light cross-onshore, which is the only thing stopping it from being a perfect score. Because this is well over the 5ft mark, it’s for experts only. It’s a lot of water moving around. Given it’s a point break, that longer period should hold it together nicely, but that cross-on wind will be the thing to keep an eye on.

The last day we're looking at, Friday the 21st, holds on well. Still 7ft to 7ft from that same NNE direction, with a 9-second period. The energy is still strong, in the 723 to 786 range. It’s still a bit crossed-up, but it’s consistent and packing a punch.

So, that's the gig. A long, slow grind to start, but a proper finish. That Wednesday the 19th to Friday the 21st stretch is your best bet. It’s worth the wait. The long-range stuff is always a bit less certain, but this one looks promising. Keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

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