Viana do Castelo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at the surf on the way for Viana do Castelo.

It’s a bit of a slow start, with nothing really working until Thursday morning the 20th. The water is running a bit colder than normal for this time of year, sitting at 65°, so maybe a thicker spring suit is the call.

We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag through the period. The first real chance to get wet comes Thursday morning, the 20th. Viana do Castelo (a river-mouth setup) will see a 4ft NW swell mixing with a cross-offshore breeze, making for clean enough conditions. The energy is moderate (313), but the swell period is short at 8 seconds, so the waves will be a bit weak and lack that punch. It’s a marginal call.

Friday morning, the 21st, looks like the first standout. The swell bumps up to 6ft from the NW, with a longer period of 10 seconds and a solid moderate energy reading (629). The wind is cross-offshore from the N, keeping the waves clean. The size is manageable for most, and the direction is closer to the optimum W that this spot likes.

The weekend drops right off again. Saturday morning the 22nd is a cross-onshore mess with tiny 4ft swell, and the whole weekend is a write-off. Sunday morning the 23rd shows a glimmer of hope with a 4ft W swell and light cross-offshore air, but it’s nothing to get excited about. The whole first week is patchy, with a lot of onshore wind and rain in the forecast.

Looking further ahead, the second week has some promise. Thursday morning, the 27th of August, is a real tease. The swell jumps to 7ft from the WNW, with a period of 9 seconds and a strong energy reading (693). The wind goes glassy, which is a dream. But the forecast says it’s likely too big for this break, so only the brave and experienced should even look at it.

The real standout, and the one I’d circle on the calendar, lands on Thursday morning, the 3rd of September. The swell is a solid 6ft from the NW, with a period of 10 seconds, giving it good shape and moderate energy (553). The wind is glassy, meaning the surface will be perfect. The conditions are rated as very good, and this is the best window in the whole 16-day forecast. The swell direction (NW) is solid for Viana do Castelo, which likes swell from the W. Because this spot is a river mouth, it handles the longer-period groundswell well. Crowds are often an issue here, so get out early.

The week before that, Sunday morning the 30th and Monday morning the 31st offer clean, fun-sized waves around 4-5ft from the NW, but the energy is lower and the quality isn’t at the same level as that early September session.

In short, be patient. The first week is frustrating, but the glassy conditions on the 3rd of September make it worth the wait.

Rusty.

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