Foz do Arelho Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with the long-range look. We’re sticking with Foz do Arelho for this entire run, and I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch. The forecast is showing surf, but the quality just isn’t there for most of it.

The whole pattern is dominated by a persistent cross-onshore wind from the north. For the first week, from Monday the 7th right through to Friday the 11th, it’s a write-off. We’ve got a consistent 4 ft to 7 ft of NW to NNW windswell, but it’s blown out, choppy, and messy. The combined energy readings are moderate early on, hitting 1010 on Monday morning, but that’s all raw, lumpy power with no finesse. Not worth paddling out.

There’s a bit of a break in the gloom on Saturday the 12th. The morning goes glassy, dead calm with glassy conditions. Swell is small, around 4 ft from the NNW with a short period of 7 seconds (combined energy of 191 – weak energy). You’ll find surfable but very ordinary waves. It’s an option if you’re desperate, but don’t get your hopes up.

Now, Sunday the 13th is where things finally get interesting. The morning session is the standout of the whole outlook. We’ve got clean, glassy conditions, dead calm wind, with a nice 4 ft NW groundswell running at a long 13 seconds. The combined energy jumps to a moderate 598, and the forecast says “expect very good surf conditions.” That long period is perfect for a spot like Foz do Arelho, which likes a W swell. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so just a spring suit will do. Keep in mind, this break is inconsistent, so you might have to wait for the sets. But when they come, they’ll be clean and well-shaped. Crowds are only possible here, so you might have it mostly to yourself.

Monday the 14th offers a very similar repeat. Another glassy morning with 5 ft of NW swell at 12 seconds (combined energy of 613). Another good session. After that, the windows start to close again. Tuesday the 15th morning has a little glassy 4 ft windswell (combined energy 351) but the period drops right off to 7 seconds, making it weaker and less organised.

From Wednesday the 16th, the cross-onshore northerlies come back and ruin the party. Thursday the 17th afternoon sees the swell jump to a powerful 8 ft from the NNW with a 10-second period (combined energy of 1218 – strong wave energy), but the wind is onshore, making it a sloppy, lumpy mess. That’s expert-sized and blown out – maybe one for the kite crew, not paddle surfing. That sloppy, windy pattern with big swell carries through to the end of the outlook on Tuesday the 22nd, with winds even hitting 22 mph.

So to sum it up: the best on offer is clear as day. Get in the water on the mornings of Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th of September for the cleanest, longest period waves. Everything else is a fight against the wind. No web links needed – you know where to go.

Rusty.

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