Viana do Castelo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for our little corner of the coast.

We’ve got a slow start, but the waiting game will pay off. The first real surf worth paddling out for hits on Tuesday morning, September 8th. It’s not a giant, but it’s clean. The water temp is sitting right on 66°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no need to dig out the thick rubber just yet.

Tuesday morning, September 8th, at Viana do Castelo (river), we’ve got a glassy ocean with a 4ft swell pushing in from the WNW. The period is a solid 10 seconds, giving the waves a bit of push. The combined energy is moderate (305), and with the wind dead calm, the surface is going to be like a mirror. It’s a beginner-friendly river break, but it’s often crowded, so you’ll be sharing the peak. This is a solid, clean start.

The rest of the first week is a bit of a mixed bag. Wednesday and Thursday mornings, September 9th and 10th, offer similar 4ft swell from the NNW, but those winds get into it later. Thursday morning, the 10th, is the pick of the workweek if you can sneak out – clean with a light breeze and a 4ft NNW swell (363 energy). Friday, the 11th, drops right off.

Saturday morning, September 12th, is worth a mention for the early glass-off. The swell is tiny at 3ft from the NNW, and the energy is weak (156), but if you’re on a log, the glassy conditions will make it fun. Saturday afternoon gets a spike in energy (244) from a very long period 16 second NW swell, but it’s only 1ft, so it’s more of a shimmer than a wave.

The standout window is Sunday, September 13th. Sunday morning is the best on offer. We’ve got a solid 5ft groundswell from the NW, with a 12-second period, pushing a lot of energy into the river mouth (646). The wind is a light offshore from the East, which is going to hold those lines up clean. This is a damn good looking session. The afternoon gets a bit wonky with cross-shore winds, so get it while it’s good.

Monday morning, the 14th, cleans up again with glassy conditions and a 3ft NW swell (270). It’s a nice follow-up session.

Looking further ahead, the surf dips again for a few days, but the very end of the forecast, on Wednesday afternoon, September 23rd, looks like a long-range bomb. We’re seeing a significant 6ft WNW swell with a very long 16-second period, and the energy is a massive 1474. The wind is glassy on the afternoon. This is a big, powerful groundswell. At a river break, that long period can make it a bit walled-up, so this is one for the experienced crew. It’s promising, but it’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it.

There’s a couple of days with no real recommendations in the middle of the second week, but with the way the forecast is building, it doesn’t look like a blank run. Stick with it.

Rusty.

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