Viareggio Piazza Mazzini Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board. It's a bit of a slow burner, but there's a window of real potential if you're willing to wait it out.

The next week and a half are pretty grim for any real surfing at Viareggio Piazza Mazzini. From Wednesday the 19th right through until late on Friday the 28th, we're looking at tiny, weak surf. Most days are pushing out ankle-biters with swell energy down in the low double or even single digits. We're talking poor surf conditions, messy onshore breezes in the afternoons, and just not enough push to make anything work. It’s the kind of flat spell that tests your patience. There is a little bump of energy around Friday the 21st, with a 6ft to 6ft southwest swell, and the morning is looking glassy with slight air. But the period is short, only 7 seconds, and the energy is weak (323 and 351 in the brackets). It might be tempting, but it's going to be lumpy and unorganized, not the clean, lined-up waves you're after.

We'll see that period vanish over the weekend, dropping back to near nothing by Sunday the 23rd. The start of the new week just dies out completely, with energy levels of 5 or less. The wind is offshore and clean, but with waves of 0.7ft, there's nothing to ride. So you can basically forget about the 24th through the 27th. It’s a long, flat stretch that’ll have you checking the forecast more out of habit than hope.

Now, here's where things get interesting. The real standout for the entire stretch is Friday morning, August 28th. This is the one to circle on your calendar. The forecast shows a solid 8ft WSW swell rolling in with an 8-second period. Combined swell energy is a massive 1719 (in the brackets), which is strong to very strong energy. The wind is forecast to be calm and glassy, absolutely dead. This is the day for experienced surfers only. Anything over 8ft is expert territory, and this one is right on the mark. It’s going to be serious, powerful, and for the guys who know what they’re doing, it could be the best surf we’ve seen in a long while. The conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers.

That afternoon, the wind swings onshore and it gets messy as the swell backs off to 6ft, so the window is tight.

After that, it fades quickly again. Saturday the 29th has some clean waves in the morning with a small, clean 3ft, but it's ordinary. Then it's back to tiny and inconsistent through the end of the forecast period into early September. The water is about average for this time of year.

So, keep your hopes up for that Friday morning, the 28th. It's a long way out and forecasts will change, but if it holds, it will be worth the wait. For everyone else, be ready to paddle out on some small, clean days, but don’t expect any magic.

This is Rusty, signing off.

Read more