Furadouro - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (October – March)

The North Atlantic roars to life during these months, with a dramatic increase in both swell size and consistency. Average wave heights range from 1.4m to 1.8m and periods consistently hover in the 11–13 second range, delivering powerful, long-period groundswells that wrap perfectly into the WNW-facing beach. The frequent passage of deep extratropical storms across the North Atlantic generates a steady diet of W to NW swell, while the Azores High occasionally positions itself to deliver offshore E to SE winds – ideal conditions that make Furadouro a world-class winter destination. The wind is favourable 36–48% of the time, offering plenty of windows for clean, lined-up surf.

Fair Surf Season (April – May & September)

As the storm track weakens in spring, swell heights drop to 1.0–1.3m and periods shorten to 9–11s, producing more average, punchy waves that are still rideable but lack the heavy hitters of winter. The wind regime becomes more northerly, with NW to N winds dominating – these are cross-shore to slightly onshore for Furadouro, limiting quality to around 20–27% ideal conditions. September offers a brief revival: early autumn storms begin to stir, bumping average heights back to 1.1m and period to 10.4s, with 23% ideal wind. These months reward patience and a well-timed swell.

Low Surf Season (June – August)

Summer brings the doldrums to Furadouro. Average swell heights bottom out at 0.9m and periods drop to 8.8–9.0s, resulting in small, groveling waves that are often messy and choppy due to persistent NW to N winds (onshore for this WNW beach). Ideal wind percentages plummet to just 8–12%, making clean surf a rare treasure. Occasional southerly wind shifts or a stray long-period SW swell can salvage a session, but this is the quietest time of the year. For serious surf, look to the shoulder months or wait for winter.

May: Small Wave Grind

By May, Furadouro enters a prolonged period of small surf. Average swell height bottomed at 1.1m and period at 9.9s – that's small to fun-sized waves. Swell directions become more spread out, with NW actually tying WNW (34.8% vs 38.5%). The dominance of NW swell is a result of low-latitude lows that produce short-period, northerly windswell. Wind ideal percentage plummets to 20%, with a massive 38.4% of wind coming from N to NNW (onshore). The upshot is that most days are blown out by the afternoon thermal breeze. Dawn patrols can occasionally yield clean, waist-high waves if a light E wind is present. Bring the groveller and keep expectations low.