Viana do Castelo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s run through what’s shaping up for this stretch of coast.

Overall, it’s a real mixed bag for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak energy and tricky winds before a few windows of cleaner, more promising conditions open up. The water is sitting at 66°, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year, so that’s a nice bonus if you’re in the water.

The first real standout is a bit of a wait. We’ve got a long gap of poor to ordinary surf from the start right through to the end of the first week. The energy is weak, with readings mostly under 100 (143) on Monday, 3rd August, and it’s cross-onshore, so it’s choppy and messy. Tuesday the 4th is more of the same, with light cross-onshore winds and small surf around 3 ft.

Wednesday the 5th morning shows a glimmer of hope with clean conditions and a cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is tiny at 2 ft from the NW with a period of 10 seconds. It’s surfable but very ordinary. Thursday the 6th is a step up in the morning with 4 ft from the NNW, but the period is a short 6 seconds, so it won’t have much push. The energy is moderate (206) though.

The best early call comes on Friday morning, 7th August. The wind goes glassy, dead calm, and the swell is 3 ft from the NNW. It’s clean, but the swell is on the small side. For the patient surfer, this is the best we’ve seen so far.

After that, we hit another flat spell. Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th are tiny, with heights dropping to 1 ft and 2 ft. The energy is low (31 to 80). It’s a waiting game.

The real highlight, and the one to circle on the calendar, is Tuesday morning, 11th August. We’ve got a clean, glassy morning with a 3 ft swell from the NNW, a period of 10 seconds, and solid moderate energy (257). The wind is off the water, dead calm. This is the best combination of size, cleanliness, and energy in the whole run. The break is *Viana do Castelo*, a river mouth setup that thrives on a W swell direction, and this NNW swell is close enough to the optimum W to work well. It’s a fairly consistent spot, but crowds are often, so expect company.

The second week is a bit quieter. Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th offer clean conditions but with weak, small swells (1 ft to 3 ft) and low energy. The next real chance of a decent wave comes on Monday morning, 17th August. We see a 4 ft NW swell with a period of 8 seconds and strong energy (245). The wind is a clean cross-offshore, so it should be peeling nicely. The swell direction is NW, which is a good angle for the river mouth. It’s a promising option, but it’s a long way out, so treat it with a little caution.

For the rest of the second week, it’s a mix of small, clean mornings and choppy afternoons. Nothing that will blow your socks off.

The standout session is Tuesday the 11th morning. Glassy, chest-high sets at Viana do Castelo with moderate energy. That’s the one.

Rusty.

Read more