Viana do Castelo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the surf ahead for Viana do Castelo.

Right off the bat, this is a tough run. The next week and a half is pretty grim – small, weak, and messy. The water's sitting at 62°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a decent wetsuit.

We’ve got a long dry spell here. From Friday the 10th right through to the 19th, there’s barely a wave worth paddling for. The swell is tiny, mostly under 2ft, with weak energy (down in the 40s and 50s on the energy scale). The wind is all over the place – cross, cross-on, onshore – keeping things choppy and ordinary. The only real glimmer in that first week is Saturday morning, July 11th. It’s not much, but we get a glassy 2ft NW swell with a bit of period (11 seconds) and the energy nudges up to 141. It’s surfable, but very average. The rest of that period is a write-off.

Now, the real interest comes in the second week. Monday morning, July 20th is the first proper standout. We’ve got a clean 5ft swell from the NNW, with a clean north wind keeping it tidy. The combined energy is a solid 302, so there’s a bit of push. That’s the best session of the run so far – good for a wide range of surfers.

Then Tuesday morning, July 21st is worth a mention. It’s a touch smaller at 4ft, but you get a light offshore from the NE and clean conditions. The energy is 275 – still solid. A good morning for a longer session.

The standout of the whole outlook, though, is Saturday morning, July 25th. This is a big one. We’re looking at 8ft of swell from the NW with a long period of 12 seconds – that’s serious groundswell. The energy is through the roof at 1731 and the wind is clean offshore. But here’s the catch: at this size, this river break is really only for the experts. The forecast says it’s too big for the break, so it’ll be a serious, heavy affair. The afternoon on the 25th is still big at 7ft, but the wind goes cross-shore and creates a chop, so the morning is the window.

Bottom line: Don’t get your hopes up for the first 10 days. The good stuff kicks off on the 20th, and if you’re a confident surfer, the 25th morning could be a proper session – but it’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

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