Viana do Castelo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate, let's break down the surf for Viana do Castelo. It's a river mouth set-up exposed to the west, so it needs a bit of swell and some clean wind to shine. The first few days are a bit of a slog, mind you. The water temp is about average for the time of year.

The first real chance to get a wet suit on is Monday morning, August 10th. It's tiny, with a 1ft northwest swell, but the wind is dead glassy, and that's a beautiful thing. The combined energy is weak (84), so you'll be on a longboard or a foamie, but it's clean. Tuesday the 11th morning is similar – glassy again with a 2ft northwest swell and weak energy (103). Just small, clean fun for the log.

Then we hit a dry spell. Wednesday the 12th morning is glassy with a 3ft west swell, but the energy is still moderate (193). The real standout starts to build on Thursday morning, August 13th. That's a proper little window. Glassy conditions, a 3ft west swell, and the combined energy is climbing to a moderate 238. The forecast says "expect good surf conditions," and for this spot, that's worth setting the alarm for. The cross-off wind on Friday morning the 14th keeps it clean with a 3ft west-northwest swell (173 energy), but it's not quite as good as Thursday.

The weekend of the 15th and 16th sees the swell bump up. Saturday morning the 15th is glassy with a 5ft northwest swell, but the energy is moderate (199). Sunday morning the 16th is the other real standout: glassy, a 6ft north-northwest swell, and a chunky 298 combined energy. That's the best of the first week, but keep in mind it's a short period swell (7 seconds), so it'll be a bit mushy and won't have the punch of a groundswell.

Now, into the second week. Monday the 18th morning is clean with a 5ft northwest swell (373 energy) – solid. But the big one is Wednesday morning, August 19th. Now, this is a powerful swell: 7ft from the north-northwest, a very strong combined energy of 620, and glassy wind. The file says it's predicted to be too big for this break. At over 8ft, it's expert territory, and this is a river mouth, so it could get nasty. If you're a charger, that's your window, but it's not for the faint-hearted. Thursday the 20th morning is a better bet for the average punter: glassy, 4ft north-northwest swell, and moderate energy (237), with "expect good surf conditions" on the forecast.

After that, it fades fast. The last few days of the forecast are a write-off with weak, onshore slop. So, to sum it up: the best on offer for most surfers is the glassy Thursday morning the 13th and the glassy Sunday morning the 16th. For the brave, Wednesday the 19th morning is a monster, but it's a big, dangerous wave.

Rusty

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