Santa Maria de Oia Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board and let’s talk about the next couple of weeks.

The outlook is a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest. The first few days are pretty rough, with a lot of onshore wind and lumpy, disorganized swell. But there’s a real light at the end of the tunnel. The middle of the period has a couple of standouts, and the final few days of the forecast look like the real deal. We just have to pay our dues with the choppy stuff first.

Starting with Wednesday the 19th, it’s small. We’re looking at ankle-biters around 1ft. There’s a weak energy reading of 41 to 89, so not enough push to get excited about. The wind is light and glassy, which is nice, but it’s a “poor” surf day for us.

Thursday the 20th sees the swell start to fill in a bit, but the wind turns against us. A cross-on N wind at 12-18 mph is going to shred the surface. Swell heights are around 5ft from the NW with a short, weak period of 7-8 seconds and moderate energy (351-384). It’s going to be a mess. Not worth the paddle.

Friday the 21st looks similar, with a bit more swell, up to 6ft, but the wind is still on it from the N and NNW, making for poor, choppy conditions. The energy is moderate (490-632), but it’s all for nothing with the blow. This is more of a kite-surfing afternoon than a surfing one, to be honest.

The weekend is a bit of a write-off too. Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd have some NW-NNW swell in the 3ft to 6ft range, but the onshore and cross-shore winds keep things messy and uninviting. There’s still plenty of wind, so keep the kites packed.

Monday the 24th is poor as well, with smaller swell and onshore winds. We’re just burning through the bad days here.

Tuesday the 25th is a glimmer of hope. The swell drops right back to 2ft to 3ft, and while it’s small, a light cross-off wind from the SSW makes things clean. The energy is weak (17-50), so it’s not going to be a classic, but it’s surfable. Just a “very ordinary” kind of day.

Now, here’s where things start to turn. Wednesday the 26th is the first real standout. The morning has that light, variable cross-off breeze, clean conditions, and a solid 4ft WNW swell at 8 seconds. The energy is moderate at 212. This is the window to be at Santa Maria de Oia (Pontevedra) before the onshore kicks in during the afternoon. The NW swell direction is right in the sweet spot for this exposed reef. It’s an advanced wave, but if you’re up for it, this is the cleanest it’s gonna get for a while.

The rest of the week is a bit average, with onshore winds and varying swell sizes. There’s some energy in the water, but the winds are just not cooperating.

The real magic happens around Monday the 31st of August. That morning, the wind is forecast to be totally glassy, with a nice 5ft to 5ft WNW groundswell ticking over at 9 seconds. The energy is building into the strong range (341-413). This looks like the standout period. The glassy conditions are going to make the reef at Santa Maria de Oia really shine. Mark this one on the calendar; it’s the best on offer in the whole window.

Tuesday the 1st of September is looking good too, with a clean cross-off breeze and a similar 5ft WNW swell. There’s a slight chance of onshore winds in the afternoon, but the morning session should be firing. The energy is strong (348-425).

The clean conditions continue into Wednesday the 2nd of September, with the swell size easing a touch to 4ft to 4ft, but the wind is off-shore or cross-off all day, making for perfect, clean lines. Energy is solidly moderate (290-360).

The window closes a bit on Thursday the 3rd of September, with a moderate cross-on wind and the swell dropping off. It’s back to poor conditions.

So, to sum it up. Don't get excited for the first week. The standout days are the 31st of August and the 1st and 2nd of September. That’s where the quality is. The windows are a bit longer for the first call, so keep that in mind over the coming days.

Remember, it’s a reef break, it’s for advanced surfers, and the crowds can be there sometimes. But when it’s clean and that WNW swell is hitting, it’s worth every bit of the paddle out.

Rusty.

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