Farol Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s coming our way for the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – it’s a pretty bleak picture for the paddle crew. We’ve got a solid 16-day window here, but the first surf recommendation doesn't kick in until Saturday the 15th of August morning, and honestly, it’s not one to get stoked about.

The whole period is dominated by a persistent onshore and cross-onshore breeze, chopping up what little swell we have. The swell energy is mostly weak to moderate, with values sitting between 53 and 212 (moderate wave energy at best), but the wind just kills the quality. Every single session is marked as "poor surf conditions". There’s a long stretch from the start all the way through to the end, with no standout days, just a constant hum of average to poor surf.

Let’s start with the first session on Saturday the 15th. Farol (Piaui) is the only break on the cards. It’s a beginner-plus spot, fairly consistent, exposed to the swell, but the wind is a cross-on from the east at 16 mph, bringing in a 5 ft swell from the ENE with a short period of 6 seconds. That's a weak, choppy windswell. The water temp is 82°, which feels a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. There’s no standout here. The wind stays messy all day, and the afternoon turns to an onshore blow at 19 mph. No good.

Moving through Sunday the 16th, Monday the 17th, Tuesday the 18th – it’s the same story. Morning cross-onshore winds from the ESE, afternoon onshores from the NE. Swell heights hover between 4 ft and 5 ft, but the period rarely breaks past 7 seconds. The energy is moderate but not enough to overcome the chop. The waves are going to be lumpy and uninviting.

By Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th, the pattern holds steady. The wind is relentless. The best you could hope for is a 5 ft to 5 ft wave with a stiff NE onshore in the afternoon, which is just a mess. Friday the 21st afternoon does show a bump in energy to 212, with waves hitting 6 ft from the NE. But it’s still an onshore wind at 19 mph. That’s going to be a choppy, blown-out wall for experts only, if anyone’s desperate. For the average surfer, it’s a pass.

The second week, from the 22nd of August onwards, things don’t improve. The swell energy drops, the period stays short, and the wind remains our enemy. Saturday the 22nd, Sunday the 23rd, Monday the 24th – all the same: weak swell, onshore winds. By the 25th and 26th, the energy dips into the double digits and the swell barely reaches 4 ft. The 27th and 28th show a slight lift again, with 5 ft to 5 ft and energy up to 178 on the 28th afternoon, but again, the onshore wind ruins it. The final days, the 29th and 30th, fizzle out with weak 4 ft to 4 ft surf and no clean windows.

Honestly, if you’re tied to a surfboard, this is a tough run. With the persistent onshore wind and short-period chop, the setup at Farol looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. There’s no single day that stands out as worth the effort. The forecast is pretty locked in for the near term, and the long-range doesn't offer any hope. It’s a blank run, and for this area, that’s just the way it goes sometimes. Forecasts can change, but for now, I’d give it a miss.

Rusty.

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