Figueiros Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, this is Rusty. Well, it’s gonna be a bit of a slow burn at Figueiros (Figueiros) over the next 16 days, with a long stretch of pretty ordinary conditions before we finally get a couple of windows that look worth paddling out for. The water’s sitting at 66°F, which is a fair bit colder than normal for this time of year – that’s about 4°F below average, so you’ll want a thicker wetsuit.

The first week is mostly a write-off. From Tuesday 11th August right through to Sunday 16th August, the surf is either poor or just marginal. The waves are small to start – only 2ft to 3ft – with weak, short-period windswell, and the wind is either cross-on or onshore, making for choppy, messy conditions. The combined swell energy is low, sitting between 71 and 250, so there’s just not much power in the water. By Saturday 15th, the swell picks up to 6ft – 7ft from the NW, but it’s still cross-on or onshore, and the energy climbs to 481–546 (moderate), but the wind ruins it. Sunday 16th has a little more size (7ft) and lighter wind, but it’s still only a marginal call.

The real standout comes on Monday 17th August. That morning, we’ve got a clean 6ft NW swell at 9 seconds, with a light offshore SSE wind at 6 mph. The combined energy is 501 (moderate), and the guidance says this spot is very consistent and exposed to swell, with an optimum direction from the west – so we’re getting a solid NW swell with offshore wind, which is a rare treat. This is the best surf of the whole period. Expect clean, well-shaped waves. The afternoon stays clean too, though the wind shifts to a light cross-offshore, so it’s still good.

Tuesday 18th August morning is also worth a look – 5ft from the NNW with a light cross-offshore SSE breeze. Clean again, but the swell is a bit smaller and the period is shorter at 8 seconds, so it’s not the same quality as Monday.

After that, we hit another rough patch. From Wednesday 19th August through to Sunday 23rd August, the swell gets bigger (5ft to 8ft) but the wind is relentlessly cross-on or onshore, and the guidance scores are all poor or marginal. The combined energy ramps up from 319 to 1393 (moderate to strong), but the wind just trashes it. This is a stretch where you’d be better off with a kiteboard than a surfboard.

Monday 24th and Tuesday 25th August show some promise. Tuesday 25th August morning is the other true standout: glassy conditions with the wind dropping to 0 mph, a 6ft NW swell at 10 seconds, and a combined energy of 618 (moderate). The forecast says “expect very good surf conditions.” That’s a ripper. The afternoon turns onshore again, so get out early.

Wednesday 26th August sees the swell building to 8ft from the NW, but the wind is cross-on again, so it’s a marginal call at best.

So, to sum it up: Monday 17th August morning is the absolute best day – clean, offshore, nice size. Tuesday 25th August morning is the other golden window with glassy conditions. The rest of the 16 days is either blown out or just average. At least Figueiros is a very consistent break, so it’s not dead, but you’ve got to pick your moments.

Rusty.

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