Foz do Arelho Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what the next couple of weeks are serving up for us.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this isn’t a pretty picture for Foz do Arelho. We’re looking at a long, grim stretch with very little to get excited about. The water is sitting at 65°F which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so maybe grab an extra mm of rubber if you’re heading out.

The first few days are a write-off. Monday afternoon kicks off with a 7ft W swell, but it’s getting smashed by a 25 km/h cross-onshore wind. The energy’s there at a moderate 599, but with that wind, it’s just a choppy mess – poor surf conditions as far as the eye can see.

Tuesday morning offers a brief flicker of hope. The swell drops to 4ft from the WNW, and while the period is a short 7 seconds, we get a light 10 km/h cross-offshore breeze from the SSW. That cleans it right up. It’s surfable, but the conditions are very ordinary – we’re only talking about a weak 139 energy. It’s a maybe, but don’t expect much.

From Tuesday afternoon all the way through to Sunday the 8th of September, it’s a brutal run. Almost every session is marked by cross-onshore winds, mostly from the N or NNE, gusting between 20 and 35 km/h. The swell bounces around from 3ft up to 8ft, but the wind just ruins every single one. The only real notable moment is Friday the 28th of August morning, when a 8ft WNW groundswell rolls in with an 11-second period and a massive 1333 energy. That’s a proper pulse. But guess what? The wind is a 15 km/h cross-onshore from the NNE. It’s lumpy. It’s a missed opportunity.

Then things get *really* interesting, but not in a good way for paddling. On the 7th of September, a monster long-period WNW swell hits. Monday morning sees a 5ft wave with a *22-second* period. That’s an incredibly long groundswell, and the energy reads a whopping 2398. Monday afternoon jumps to 7ft at 19 seconds, energy 3875. Tuesday the 8th goes up to 8ft at 14 seconds, energy 3825. These are massive numbers and very long periods. But the wind is a relentless 25-30 km/h N cross-onshore. For a beach break, that long-period swell will just close out or be a straight mess with that wind. Honestly, the power in the water and the wind setup makes this look way more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.

So, what’s the call? There is no standout session to recommend. The closest we get is Tuesday the 25th of August morning for a quick, clean, weak wave. After that, we’re waiting over a week for some real power, but the wind doesn’t cooperate. It’s a tough run.

Rusty out.

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