Fonte da Telha - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (October - March)

The North Atlantic roar to life during these months as the Azores High weakens and the Icelandic Low deepens, firing consistent extratropical storms across the Atlantic. Swell heights average between 1.5m and 2.0m with long periods from 11s to 13s, delivering powerful, clean lines straight into the west-southwest-facing beach. Offshore winds from the NNO to O quadrant blow consistently 26-34% of the time, especially when high pressure settles over the Bay of Biscay or continental Europe. This is prime time for Fonte da Telha — expect pumping NW and W swells, often with sunny skies and light land breezes. It's not uncommon to see head-high to overhead sets with perfect shape during these months.

Fair Surf Season (April & September)

Spring and early autumn act as transitional windows. April sees a noticeable drop in average swell height to 1.5m and period to 11.1s, but the swell direction remains favourable from the W and NW. The catch is that the wind ideal percentage drops to 20% as the Azores High builds and northerly winds become dominant — often creating sideshore or light onshore conditions. September is similar: average 1.1m swell at 10.5s, with the NW quadrant still providing most of the energy. The wind regime shifts with more frequent N and NNW breezes (offshore? Actually NNW is not ideal), but occasional easterly pulses from high pressure over Spain can set up fun, clean waves. Both months offer periodic windows of good quality, especially with long-period groundswells, but consistency is lower.

Low Surf Season (May - August)

Summer is the quietest period for Fonte da Telha. The North Atlantic storm track shifts north, and the Azores High dominates, suppressing swell generation. Average heights hover around 1.0-1.2m with short to moderate periods (8-10s). Most of the swell arrives from the NW quadrant as windswell or small groundswell, but the prevailing NNW and N winds (onshore or cross-shore) blow over 50% of the time in July and August, ruining wave quality. Ideal offshore wind percentages drop to 10-16%, making clean surf a rare commodity. Daytime seabreezes further degrade conditions. However, early mornings can occasionally deliver glassy, fun-sized waves when the wind lays down or a rare southwesterly swell sneaks in. For consistent quality surf, this is not the time to visit.

September: Autumn Stirrings

September marks the beginning of the transition back to better surf. Average swell height is 1.1m, but the period lengthens to 10.5s as the first Atlantic lows start to form. Swell direction is still mainly NW (50.4%) and WNW (31.6%), with more westerly component than summer months. Ideal wind conditions jump to 21% — the highest since April. The wind regime begins to shift: N (19.1%) and NNW (24%) still dominate, but there are increasing pulses of offshore easterlies (NE, ENE, E) when high pressure sets up over Spain. When that happens, the combination of longer period swell and clean wind can produce surprisingly good surf. Expect chest-high waves with occasional bigger sets. September is a sleeper month for those willing to chase the windows.