Foz do Arelho Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Foz do Arelho over the next couple of weeks.

Alright, I’ll be straight with you – this stretch of the forecast is a real struggle. There’s nothing that stands out as a proper session, and the first surfable waves don’t even show up until Sunday the 12th, but even then, it’s pretty ordinary. The water here is sitting at 63°, which is about 3° colder than you’d expect for this time of year – that’s a bit nippy, so bring a thick suit.

Sunday morning the 12th, we’ve got a tiny 2ft swell from the NW with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy is weak at 130. The wind is light off the SSE, which is offshore, so the waves will be clean, but it’s inconsistent and small – only really one for a beginner to mess around on. By Sunday afternoon, the wind swings to the WSW at 12 mph, cross-onshore, and the quality drops out completely.

Monday the 13th morning is similar – 2ft from the W, 8-second period, light cross-offshore wind, clean but nothing to get excited about. The energy is tiny at 101. After that, it’s a long run of poor conditions. Through Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, the swell stays small and the wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore. The energy drops into the 60s and 70s.

Then from Friday the 17th, the swell starts to build, but the wind gets nasty. Friday morning we see 4ft from the NNW at 6 seconds – that’s short period, lumpy, and cross-onshore at 16 mph. Energy hits 103, but it’s messy. Saturday the 18th pushes up to 6ft, still short period, with fresh 19 mph north winds making it choppy and lumpy. The energy is moderate at 316, but the quality is poor. This pattern continues all the way through the weekend and into the next week.

By Sunday the 19th, the swell is 8ft, with strong energy at 729, but again, cross-onshore winds at 19 mph. It’s too big for beginners and the wind is ruining it. For the experienced surfers, it’s going to be a battle with the chop. Monday the 20th sees similar size and energy up to 820, but still cross-onshore. The break is a beach setup, so with that much wind and swell, honestly, this looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd show some improvement in wind – light offshore from the NW – but the swell is big, 7ft to 8ft, with long period around 9 seconds. The energy on Thursday morning is massive at 1151, and it’s clean offshore wind, but the waves are going to be powerful and hollow. This is only for experts, and it’s a week and a half away, so don’t bank on it yet. The break is a beach, so with that long period, it might close out straight. Still, it’s the best on offer in the whole run.

Friday the 24th morning sees 10ft swell from the NNW with a 10-second period, energy sky-high at 1563, but only gentle cross-onshore wind. That’s big, expert-only territory, and the conditions are marginal due to tide. After that, it starts to drop back, but the wind remains a problem all the way through the 27th.

So, bottom line: the only real standout is the morning of Thursday the 23rd of July, with an 8ft NNW groundswell, light offshore wind, and very strong energy. It’s a long way out, but if you’re an expert and you can handle a beach break with that period, it could be your window. For everyone else, there’s nothing worth chasing.

Rusty.

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