Viana do Castelo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a proper look at what’s on the table for the Viana do Castelo stretch. It’s a bit of a waiting game, and the first few days are a real struggle.

We’ve got a long, slow start here. The first week is mostly a write-off. From Sunday the 19th right through to Saturday the 25th, the surf is tiny and the conditions are just not playing ball. There’s a lot of light cross-onshore breeze and choppy, messy water. The swell is weak, barely registering (combined energy between 20 and 89). It’s frustrating, but it’s the kind of flat spell that happens.

Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd do offer a couple of rare exceptions with glassy mornings, but the swell is nothing more than 1.0ft to 1ft from the WNW with a period of 10 seconds. It’s surfable, but you’d be scratching for anything decent. The water temperature is sitting at 68°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.

The first real sign of life comes on Sunday the 26th of July. The morning session sees a 4ft NW swell with a 7-second period and a clean cross-off wind from the NNW. The combined energy jumps to 170 (moderate wave energy). It’s not a classic, but it’s the first proper surfable wave we’ve seen. The afternoon gets a bit windier with NW winds at 15 mph, so the morning is definitely the pick.

Then we hit a small window of potential. Wednesday the 29th of July morning is a standout. The ENE wind is glassy, and we’ve got a 3ft NW swell with a 10-second period. The combined energy is a solid 356 (strong wave energy). The conditions look clean, and it’s a rare moment where everything lines up. This is the best option on offer for the whole period.

Later that afternoon, the swell picks up to 6ft from the NNW (period 7 seconds) but the wind turns cross-onshore, making it messy. It’s a shame because the size is there, but the quality drops off.

Thursday the 30th of July afternoon is another decent shout. The swell is 4ft from the NNW with an 11-second period, and the wind is a light cross-off from the NNW. The combined energy is 383 (strong wave energy). It’s clean, and the longer period gives the waves a bit more shape. This is your second-best option.

Friday the 31st of July morning is worth a mention too. The wind is dead calm (glass) with a 4ft NNW swell, 9-second period, and 207 combined energy. It’s clean and small, but it’s a fun little session.

After that, the second week trails off into small, inconsistent surf with light winds again. The swell drops back to 2ft to 3ft, and the energy is weak (89 to 147). Nothing to get excited about.

So, to wrap it up: the best on offer is Wednesday the 29th of July morning at Viana do Castelo. The glassy conditions and 3ft NW swell make for a clean, relaxed session. The backup is Thursday the 30th of July afternoon with the 4ft NNW swell and clean cross-off wind. The rest of the window is a bust.

Stay patient, and keep an eye on the glassy mornings.

Rusty.

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