Figueira da Foz - Cabedelo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for our local stretch, Figueira da Foz - Cabedelo. Honestly, it’s a bit of a weird run. We’ve got a big gap of flat, poor conditions to start, then there’s a pulse of energy later that’s going to be way too much for most of us. Let’s walk through it day by day.

We’re looking at the 11th of July right now, and there’s nothing doing. The water here is sitting at 64°, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, so you’ll want a thicker suit. The first real chance of anything surfable doesn’t come until the morning of Wednesday the 15th. Even then, it’s tiny – just 2ft of weak, short-period swell from the west with a combined energy of just 68 (weak). The only saving grace is the glassy wind, which will make for clean, pretty, but tiny waves. It’s a beginner-friendly knee-high dribble.

After that, it goes back to poor surf conditions for a long stretch. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell is small and weak. The 17th of July sees a little bump in size, but it’s still a messy, short-period windswell.

Now, the real talking point is the week that follows. From the 20th of July, the swell starts to ramp up in a big way. The morning of Monday the 20th sees a solid 7ft swell from the NNW, but the energy is already very strong (643). The wind is cross-shore, which is okay, but the problem is that the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. By Tuesday the 21st, it’s 10ft to 12ft of NNW swell, with a combined energy hitting 926 and then 1519. That’s strong to very strong wave energy, and at a beach/pier break like Cabedelo, that’s expert territory only. The wind is onshore, making it even messier. This is not a paddle-surfing situation – it’s kite-surfing territory if anything.

The absolute standout, if you’re an expert, is the morning of Wednesday the 22nd. We’ve got a 8ft NNW swell, still very strong energy (1018), but the wind is glassy. That’s a rare combination. For the brave and experienced, that could be a wild, clean, powerful session, but it’s still too big for 99% of surfers.

Finally, we get a drop back to something more manageable. The morning of Thursday the 23rd looks promising. The swell drops to 6ft from the NNW, with moderate energy (407), and the wind is glassy again. This is the best window for the average surfer. It’s still a solid size, but the clean conditions will make it worthwhile. After that, it fades back into poor, weak conditions through the end of the month.

So, the long and short of it: the first week is a write-off. The middle of the second week is too big and messy. The real sweet spot, and the only one I’d circle, is the morning of Thursday the 23rd of July. If you’re an expert, the morning of the 22nd is a monster in the making, but it’s a beast.

Rusty.

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