Guarda do Embau Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

We’ve got a solid run of swell heading into Guarda do Embau, a river mouth setup that’s very consistent and exposed to the south-east. The water’s sitting at 66°F with a temperature anomaly of 0.9°F, so it’s pretty much normal for this time of year – nothing to shock the system.

The first surf to get excited about kicks off on Tuesday, August 11th. The morning’s looking glassy with a light SSW breeze, and we’ve got a 7ft south-south-east swell wrapping in with a 12-second period. The combined energy is pumping at 1140 (moderate to strong), so there’s plenty of push. This is excellent for experienced surfers – the river mouth should be handling that size well. The wind stays glassy through the afternoon, holding at 6ft, so Tuesday is the standout. If you’re a beginner, 7ft is probably a bit too much, so pick your moment.

Wednesday, August 12th, the swell backs off just a touch to 6ft, still from the SSE with a 12-second period. The morning’s clean with a cross-off N wind, but it gets a bit bumpy in the afternoon as the wind picks up to 12 mph. Not a write-off, but not as pristine as Tuesday.

By Thursday, August 13th, the swell period stretches out to 14 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell, which means longer waits between sets but better shaped waves. The height is still 6ft, and the combined energy jumps to 1337 (strong). The catch? The wind is cross-shore, so there’s a bit of texture on the faces. It’s still surfable, but the river mouth might need a bit of tide to line up with that long period.

Friday, August 14th, is a gem. The morning’s glassy with a light WNW wind, 5ft SSE swell, and the afternoon goes dead calm with zero wind. That’s as clean as it gets. The energy is still solid at 1044. This is a close second for the best of the window – a real treat if you can get out.

Saturday, August 15th, the swell drops to 4ft in the morning and 3ft in the afternoon, with a cross-off northerly. It’s clean but small. From Sunday, August 16th, through to Wednesday, August 19th, the swell direction swings to the east and north-east, the period drops to 8–9 seconds, and the wind gets messy. The combined energy plummets below 500. The quality is poor, with choppy, onshore conditions. This stretch is a write-off for paddle surfing – the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than anything else.

There’s a bit of a gap from Thursday, August 20th, into Friday, August 21st. Thursday morning is clean but tiny at 3ft. Friday morning, August 21st, brings a new pulse from the south: 6ft, 8-second period, and glassy conditions. The energy is back up to 606 (moderate). It’s a quick hit, but the afternoon turns to onshore rubbish.

Saturday, August 22nd, is glassy again but only 3ft – a cruisy longboard day. Then from Sunday, August 23rd, through to Tuesday, August 25th, the energy is weak, winds are cross to onshore, and the swell is small and short-period. The combined energy is barely scraping 100–300. Not worth a paddle.

Now, looking way out to Wednesday, August 26th, there’s a late-season pulse: 5ft–5ft from the SSE with a 15-second period – that’s a very long period groundswell. The combined energy rockets to 1376 and then 1914 (strong to very strong). But the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s choppy. This one is promising but less certain this far out – if the wind cleans up, the river mouth could be firing, but as it stands, it’s marginal.

Best on offer: Tuesday, August 11th, morning session. Glassy, 7ft SSE, 12-second period, heaps of energy. Friday, August 14th, is a close second with glassy conditions all day.

Rusty.

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