Figueira da Foz - Cabedelo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty checkin' in from Figueira da Foz. Let me tell ya, the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for waves around here. We’re looking at a long, sad stretch of small, wind-chopped junk. I gotta be straight with ya, there’s no real standout swell on the horizon for a while.

Starting from August 1st, it’s all small and messy. We’ve got weak westerly swells running around 2 ft to 2 ft all weekend and into Monday, with the combined swell energy staying low in the 90s and 130s. The wind is a problem – it’s cross-on from the west-northwest, and by Saturday afternoon it’s a moderate breeze kicking up chop, so it’s pretty much unsurfable. Sunday and Monday are the same story: tiny, cross-shore winds, and just poor conditions all around. Nothing to get excited about.

Tuesday the 4th of August is the first time we see a little bit of a silver lining. Early morning at Cabedelo, we get a glassy window with light southwest winds and 3 ft swell from the west (131 combined energy). That’s the only morning in the first week that’s going to be clean, but the swell is tiny and it's a beginner-friendly beach break, so it might be worth a paddle if you’re just wanting to get wet. The water is 70°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home.

After that brief moment, it’s back to the same old story. From Wednesday the 5th through to Sunday the 10th, the wind picks up again, mostly cross-on from the north-northwest, and the swell stays in the 1 ft to 4 ft range but is completely chopped out. The energy readings get higher (hitting 338 on Friday morning the 7th) but it’s all short-period windswell – like 8 seconds or less – so it’s just a lumpy, crumbly mess. Not worth the drive.

Now, if you’re patient, there’s a glimmer of hope on Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th of August. The early morning on the 11th is magic: glassy conditions with a light east-northeast wind, and a clean 4 ft groundswell from the west-northwest (223 combined energy). That’s a solid, fun size for Cabedelo, and with a 9-second period, it should have a bit of push. The waves will be good, clean surf, and for a beach break like this, it’s your best bet. The only catch is the afternoon blows out again from the northwest. Wednesday the 12th morning is still surfable with that same 4 ft swell, but it’s a bit more onshore, so it’s only marginal.

After that, it all goes downhill again. From Thursday the 13th through Sunday the 16th of August, the wind is howling – mostly cross-shore from the north at 12-22 mph. The swell gets bigger, pushing 8 ft from the north-northwest on Sunday the 16th (combined energy hitting 704), but with that wind and a short period of 8 seconds, it’s going to be a blown-out, choppy mess. The cross-shore wind might make it look interesting for kite surfers, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a write-off. For a beach break like Cabedelo, that much north-northwest swell and wind is just not going to produce anything clean.

So, bottom line: the one window to pencil in is the early morning of Tuesday, 11th August. That’s your best shot at a clean, fun wave. Other than that, it’s a whole lot of nothing until then, and it gets messy again after. Stay patient, keep an eye on the charts, but for now, this region is in a bit of a slump.

Rusty.

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