Viana do Castelo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s take a look at what’s coming up for the Viana do Castelo area over the next couple of weeks.

Right up front, I gotta tell you, it’s a slow start. From Wednesday through Friday, the swell is tiny and the wind is all wrong. Mostly onshore or cross-onshore. Not much to get excited about. Leave the stick in the car for a few days.

Now, Saturday the 25th, we finally get something. Morning goes glassy calm, with a small 3ft swell from the west, but the period is only 6 seconds and the energy is weak (59). It’s surfable, but just barely. That afternoon though, the wind picks up hard from the northwest at 25 km/h with a 5ft NW swell showing moderate energy (289). The problem is, the wind is side-shore and the period is short, so it’s going to be a mess. With that wind and the open beach setup, I’d say this is more of a kite-surf day than a paddle day.

Sunday the 26th stays messy. The morning has some cross-offshore wind and a 4ft swell (114 energy), but it’s only 6 seconds. The afternoon blows up to 35 km/h from the NNW – way too much wind.

Monday the 27th – now we’re onto something special. That morning it’s clear skies and flat calm, glassy. Swell runs 5ft from the NNW with a 10-second period. The combined energy jumps to a solid 397. That’s strong. Wind is almost nothing from the NNE. The water is sitting around 68°, which is a touch warmer than usual for the season. This is the standout day in the entire outlook. The river mouth and point should be handling that clean groundswell really well, and with no crowds mentioned, you could have it quiet out there.

After that, the rest of the week and into early August is pretty average. There are a few mornings like the 28th and 30th with some size, but the period stays short (7-9 seconds) and the wind keeps shifting around. Sunday, August 2nd shows a 5ft NW swell with 359 energy, but with light rain and an onshore wind, it’s only a marginal call.

From the 3rd through the 6th of August, we get 3ft-4ft swells but the wind is either too strong or onshore, and the periods stay short. Not much to write home about.

So, to sum it up: if you’ve got one day to get wet, make it Monday, July 27th, first light. Glassy, clean, good energy, and the river mouth should be running. The rest of the period is mostly a waiting game.

Rusty.

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