Foz do Arelho Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this is a real tough stretch for Foz do Arelho. We’re lookin’ at a long, drawn-out run of poor conditions that’ll last from the 31st of August all the way through to the 5th of September. That’s a solid week of nothing worth paddling out for. The wind is mostly smackin’ us from the north, cross-onshore, and the waves are just messy and lumpy. Energy levels are weak to moderate at best, but the quality is just gone.

Finally, we get a glimmer of hope on Sunday the 6th of September. The morning session is the one to circle. The wind drops to nothing – glassy conditions – and that’s a massive positive. Swell is a clean 4ft from the NNW, period at 12 seconds, which is that nice groundswell push. This is where you want to be. The water temp is about average for this time of year. It’s an inconsistent break, so don’t expect a wave every minute, but when they come, they’ll be clean. You might have some company – crowds are possible here.

After that Sunday morning window, it gets messy again. The wind swings back northerly and cross-onshore for days. There’s a little spike in energy, but the wind’s just ruining the surface. The 9th of September sees some bigger swell – 6ft from the NNW – but the period is short (7 seconds) and the wind is onshore, so it’s choppy and tough. That’s more kite-surfing territory than paddle surfing.

The next real window of opportunity shapes up on Monday the 14th of September. The morning session gets a clean cross-offshore wind from the SSE, with a 4ft WNW swell (9-second period). The conditions will be clean. Then on Tuesday the 15th of September morning, we get a proper offshore wind from the SSE, 3ft swell from the WNW, and a nice long 12-second period. The wind will be clean, moderate offshore, and the waves should have some shape. This one’s a bit further out, so keep an eye on it, but it looks promising.

So, to sum it up: the only standout day is Sunday the 6th of September morning – glassy, clean, and rideable. The 14th and 15th of September mornings also look good for clean conditions, but they’re a week and a half away, so don’t book the trip just yet. The rest of the time, it’s a battle with the wind.

Stay stoked, and check the charts before you head out.

Rusty

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