Viana do Castelo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's get into it. We're looking at Viana do Castelo, a river mouth setup that's fairly consistent and exposed to the west. Water temps are sitting at about 65°, which is pretty much average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

The week kicks off with a bit of a slow start. Sunday the 30th is a write-off – cross-shore winds and only marginal surf, not worth getting wet for. Monday the 31st is where things start to get interesting. We've got a clean 6 ft swell from the NW, with a period of 10 seconds and moderate energy (622). The wind is a cross-offshore breeze, so the waves will be clean and lined up. That's the standout of the first few days, no question.

Tuesday morning (1st September) is still okay with a clean 5 ft NW swell, but the energy drops off (369). By Tuesday afternoon, the wind swings and the surf turns poor. Wednesday through Thursday sees the swell drop right down to 3 ft or less, with glassy mornings but very ordinary, weak waves. There's a gap of a few days with nothing exciting.

Then Friday the 4th brings a bit of a pulse. A 4 ft WNW swell with a long 12-second period (energy 487) and clean cross-offshore winds. That's a quality groundswell – longer period means more shape and energy, but it might wrap a bit differently at the river mouth. Saturday the 5th holds up with clean 4 ft NW swell and offshore winds in the afternoon – that's a solid, clean session.

After that, the swell fades again. Sunday the 6th is marginal, and from Monday the 7th through to the 13th, it's mostly tiny, poor surf with energy readings under 200. There's a long stretch of waist-high or smaller waves with cross-shore or onshore winds. Not worth planning around.

But check this out – Monday the 14th of September. That morning looks promising. Glassy conditions, a 5 ft W swell with a 10-second period, and moderate energy (404). That's a clean, glassy session with some decent push. It's the best call in the second week, but it's a long way out, so keep an eye on it.

Overall, the best bet is Monday morning the 31st of August. It's the most consistent, cleanest, and has the most energy. After that, Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th are also good, but nothing else really stands out until that potential glassy session on the 14th.

Rusty.

Read more