Viana do Castelo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board and let’s talk about the next stretch. Honestly, the next couple of weeks are looking pretty flat and messy for most spots. The swell windows are few and far between, and even when there’s something in the water, the winds are going to be all over the place. We’ve got a long, quiet period ahead, so don’t get your hopes up for anything epic.

The first real chance of anything surfable comes on Wednesday morning, the 5th. Viana do Castelo (Viana do Castelo) will see a small pulse, around 2ft, but it’s coming from the NW with a short 10-second period. It’s clean, with a light cross-offshore breeze, but it’s weak. The energy is only reading 172, so it’s going to be gutless. It’s surfable, but you’ll be working for every little ripple. Not a standout, just a chance to get wet.

After that, the waves just die out. The sea goes quiet for a solid stretch. Thursday morning, the 6th, has a tiny 2ft wave, but it’s not doing much. Friday morning, the 7th, offers a glassy 3ft with a short-period NNW swell, but the energy is weak. The wind is dead, which is nice, but the swell is just too small to be fun. You’d be doing more floating than surfing.

The weekend is a complete write-off. Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th are tiny, with hardly any push at all. The swell drops to 1ft and 2ft, and the wind is all over the place. Not worth paddling out for.

The next week isn't much better. There’s a small bump on Monday morning, the 10th, with a 2ft NW swell and clean conditions, but again, it’s weak. The same pattern repeats for the next few days – small, inconsistent, and mostly cross-shore winds. You’ll see the odd glassy morning, like on Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th, but the swell is only around 2ft. It’s the kind of surf that’s only good for a longboard and a lot of patience.

About the only thing that gets remotely interesting is the weekend of the 15th and 16th. There’s a small mix of swells, but the period drops to 6-7 seconds, which is just junky. Saturday the 15th sees 4ft to 4ft, but it’s a short-period close-out machine. The energy is picking up though, 132 and 158, so there’s a bit more push, but the quality just isn't there. Sunday the 16th is similar, with 3ft and cross-off winds in the afternoon, which will keep it clean, but the swell is still short-period.

The last real hope is Monday morning, the 17th, when the energy jumps to 231, and we see 4ft of NNW swell. The period is still short at 7 seconds, but there’s a bit more power behind it. The winds are light, so it could be less junky than the previous days, but with that short period, it’s going to be a close-out at the beach breaks. It’s a marginal call, and for a river mouth like this, it’s going to be a mess.

The water temp is around 66°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Honestly, if you’re looking for a real highlight, there isn’t one. The best you can hope for is a clean, small day with a longboard. The wind is going to be the main issue, with the cross-shore and cross-on winds messing up a lot of the small swells. If it gets too messy, the setup might be more interesting for a kite than a paddle board. Keep your expectations low, and you won’t be disappointed.

Rusty.

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