Viana do Castelo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, let's get into it. The next couple of weeks here at Viana do Castelo are a bit of a mixed bag. We're looking at a river mouth set-up that's fairly consistent, but don't expect perfection every day. The water is sitting at a warm 69°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so the boardies are definitely the go.

It starts off pretty quiet. Tuesday the 11th has some tiny 2ft swell from the NW with a period of 8 seconds, giving us a weak energy of 119. The morning is glassy, but the swell is small and the conditions are just ordinary. The afternoon gets messy with a cross-shore wind.

Wednesday the 12th morning is where it starts to look a bit better. A clean 3ft swell from the west with a 10-second period, and glassy conditions. The combined energy is moderate at 220. That's a decent window for a beginner-friendly session. The afternoon is a bit more marginal.

The real standout for the whole period, though, is Saturday morning, the 15th. We're looking at a 7ft swell from the NNW, but it's short period at 8 seconds. The wind is a clean cross-off from the north at 16 mph, and the wave energy is strong at 560. Now, the swell is pushing into the range that's better for experienced surfers, but it's clean and there's plenty of push. The guidance says this spot is exposed to the west, and we're getting swell from the NNW, so it's not the absolute optimum direction, but the size and clean conditions make it the best on offer.

Sunday the 16th morning drops back to 5ft from the NNW with clean cross-off winds, but it's still on the short-period side. The following Monday morning, the 17th, is a nice little glassy morning with 4ft swell from the NNW, good for a beginner session.

After that, the surf gets a bit fickle. There's a big drop on Tuesday the 18th morning with a tiny 0.3ft swell, then a jump to a messy 7ft that afternoon. Wednesday the 19th morning has a glassy 6ft swell from the NNW, which is a good call.

Thursday the 20th is a different story. We get a long-period groundswell, 5ft from the NW with a 12-second period, and the energy goes through the roof at 1044. The wind is light cross-on, so it's a bit choppy. Then that afternoon, the swell jumps to 8ft from the NW with an 11-second period, and the energy is massive at 1784. That's a lot of water moving, but it's likely going to be too big for this river break and best left for the experts.

The following week, from the 21st onwards, we see a lot of bigger, cleaner swells, but they are consistently in the 7ft to 8ft range with strong cross-off winds. While the conditions look clean, the size is just too much for this spot to handle well. It's going to be a challenge for anyone but the most experienced. The energy readings are often in the 900s, showing just how much power is in the water. There are a few mornings like the 24th and 26th with 6ft to 6ft swells and lighter winds that could be worth a look, but Saturday the 15th remains the true standout.

Rusty.

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