Viareggio - Royal Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks. Rusty here, and I’ve got the lowdown on what’s shaking for the next couple of weeks. We’re gonna keep it real, just like always, and look at what’s actually on offer from right now through the end of the first week of September.

First off, I gotta be straight with you. We’ve got a big, fat gap of nothingness at the start. There’s literally no surf worth paddling out for from now, Monday the 24th of August, all the way through the week. The water’s sitting at 82°F – that’s much warmer than normal for this time of year, a full 6°F warmer than usual. But with a tiny 0.3ft swell and all the energy measured at just (2) on the combined scale, you’re better off sunbathing.

That flat spell runs through the 25th, 26th, 27th, and most of the 28th. The only thing saving us from total gloom is a bit of glassy wind here and there. For a spot that’s inconsistent at the best of times, this is pretty normal; it’s just a quiet patch.

Things finally start to show a pulse on the morning of Saturday the 29th. A lump of 6ft swell from the WSW with a period of 7 seconds rolls in, and the energy jumps up to a solid (455). The problem? It’s a full-on onshore wind of 12 mph. It’s going to be a messy, lumpy affair. This isn’t your beginner’s wave; at over six feet and blown out, it’s for the experienced heads only, and honestly, with the wind and moderate energy, this beach break setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Sunday the 30th is a bit more promising, but still not a winner. We’ve got a morning swell of 6ft from WSW, (412) energy. The wind is light cross-onshore from the SSW, which isn't terrible, but the conditions are marginal. It’s surfable, but you’ll be fighting a bit of wind ripple.

The real standouts, the only ones worth circling on the calendar, are building through the first week of September. It’s not a classic, but it’s the best we’ve got.

On the morning of Thursday the 3rd of September, the conditions start to clean up. A 5ft swell from the southwest with a 6-second period gives us a (190) energy reading. The key here is the offshore wind. We’ve got a light 6 mph breeze from the east, coming right off the land. That’s going to groom the swell. It’s surfable with decent shape, even if the period is a bit short.

Then, look at the morning of Friday the 4th of September. The swell jumps up to 5ft from the SW, the period stretches out to 9 seconds, and the combined energy hits (370). The wind is still a light onshore from the SW, but there’s enough power in that longer period to punch through. This is the biggest groundswell pulse of the window, with a period that’s starting to get interesting, suggesting better shaped waves and longer waits between sets. It’s still a bit ordinary with the onshore wind, but for a spot that rarely sees good waves, this is probably as good as it gets. It’s big enough to be fun for the competent crew.

The long-range stuff for the second week onwards drops off again. The 7th of September has a clean morning with 3ft swell, but the energy is weak at (168). Nothing to get excited about.

So, to wrap it up: forget this week. The true standout is the morning of Friday the 4th of September at Viareggio - Royal. It’s not perfect, but with that stronger, longer-period swell and manageable wind, it’s our best chance for a real wave in this 16-day window. Be there early.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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