Farol Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ over the next couple weeks. I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch for the wave chasers at Farol (Piaui). The whole 16-day window is plagued by onshore and cross-onshore winds, and the swell is just not cooperating. There’s no standout window to get excited about.

We start off on Wednesday, the 9th of September, and it’s already a mess. The morning sees a 4ft ENE swell with a short, weak 7-second period – combined energy is only 145 (moderate). That’s a weak, choppy combo. The wind is a cross-onshore ESE breeze at 12 mph, so it’s ugly. By afternoon, the wind swings onshore from the NE at 19 mph, bumping the wave height to 5ft but with a 6-second period, creating awful surf. This pattern of moderate cross-onshore mornings and onshore afternoon winds, with short-period swell, keeps repeating day after day. From Thursday the 10th through to early the following week, the swell hovers between 4ft and 6ft, periods are a meagre 6 seconds, and the combined energy usually sits in the 100s – moderate at best, but totally ruined by wind.

Around the 17th of September (Thursday), the afternoon sees a bump to 6ft from the NE, with combined energy hitting 256 (moderate), but again, the wind is a stiff onshore 22 mph. That’s blown-out, messy, and not worth paddling for on a surfboard. Honestly, with these consistent onshore winds and weak, short-period swell, this setup looks way more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The swell is too short and weak to do much with.

The last few days, from the 19th to the 24th of September, it’s the same story. A bit of a bump on the 24th (Thursday morning) with a 5ft ENE swell and a 7-second period, combined energy at 219, but cross-onshore winds kill it. There is no point in the forecast where the wind drops offshore or goes light. Crowds are only mentioned as possible, but honestly, who’s going to be out there in this junk?

So, to wrap it up: the whole 16-day window is a write-off for quality surf. There are no good options at Farol or anywhere else in the guidance. The winds are bad, the swell is grovelly, and the energy is too low. It’s a blank run, and it looks normal for the area when the trade winds lock in. Forecasts can change, but for now, leave your shortboard at home.

Rusty.

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