Farol Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty ordinary for a proper paddle. The ocean’s going to be there, but it’s going to be a bit of a messy, wind-blown affair for most of the run. We’ve got a solid 16-day window, but honestly, there’s a big old gap of nothing-worth-getting-wet-for at the start.

The first chance of anything half-decent doesn’t show up until Thursday, August 21st, which is more than a week and a half away. Up until then, it’s pretty much a write-off. The swell’s small, the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the surf report is consistently calling it “poor surf conditions”. The energy in the water is weak to moderate at best, think values like 84 to 176 (moderate) in the combined swell energy, with plenty of days dipping below 100 (weak). The period is short too, mostly 5 to 6 seconds, which means junky, disorganised waves. There’s a touch of size around the 17th and 18th, but the wind is howling from the NE at 19 mph, so it’ll be a blown-out mess.

So, what’s the bright spot? It’s all pointing to Farol (Piaui) early on the morning of Thursday, August 21st. Finally, the wind looks like it will ease off a touch, and we get a better quality swell. The models are showing a 5ft swell from the ENE, with a period of 7 seconds. Now, 7 seconds isn’t long-period groundswell, but it’s an improvement. The main draw is the light ESE wind at 12 mph, which is cross-onshore but a lot cleaner than the 19 mph we’ve been dealing with. It’s not going to be glassy, but it’ll be a whole lot more organised. The combined energy is moderate, sitting at 217. The water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year at 82° – that’s about two and a half degrees above average, so you can leave the thick suit at home. This is your one standout. It’s still only 5ft, so it’s fine for most surfers, but given the preceding junk, it’ll feel like a luxury. It’s a fairly consistent break, so you shouldn’t be waiting too long between sets, though be aware the east in the swell direction isn’t the optimum for this spot – it prefers something more from the north.

The rest of the window after that? The 22nd and 23rd look similar, with moderate energy and NE winds picking up again in the afternoons. The mornings might offer a bit of a window, but nothing that screams “go”. The first week is a write-off, a bit of a gap of about 9 days before that August 21st option. If nothing’s consistent, this blank run can be a bit more normal for the area, but forecasts can and do change, so don’t write it off completely.

For the weeks ahead, keep your eye on that Thursday the 21st. It’s the only real chance to get a decent wave in. For now, might be worth checking if the kites are pumped up, because with this cross-onshore wind and modest surf, the conditions might be more fun for them than for us.

Stay stoked,
Rusty

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