Foz seasonal overview
Best Surf Season (October - March)
The North Atlantic roars back to life each October, and Foz starts to pick up the first serious swell of the new season. By November and December, the Icelandic Low deepens, sending a conveyor belt of extratropical cyclones across the Bay of Biscay. Average swells climb to 1.6-1.7m (5-6ft) with 11-12.5s periods, and the dominant NW/NNW swell directions fill the NNO-NO-ONO window. The wind stats shift in our favor too: SSW and SW flow accounts for a large share of the readings, keeping the beach glassy and well groomed. If the NAO sets up with a strong pressure gradient, Foz can fire for days on end.
Fair Surf Season (April - May & September)
As winter loses its grip, average heights ease to 1.0-1.3m (3-4ft) and periods settle into the 9.7-10.5s range. The NW/NNW energy remains present, but the Azores High begins to build and pushes lighter, more variable winds. You still get clean windows when a late-season low grazes the north coast, but consistency drops and the NE/ENE sea breeze becomes a regular afternoon nuisance.
Low Surf Season (June - August)
Summer is the quietest chapter at Foz. The Azores High moves north, forcing the storm track toward Iceland and leaving the Bay of Biscay in a thermal trough. Average swell heights sink to 0.8-0.9m (2.5-3ft), periods drop below 9s, and the prevailing NE/ENE winds blow onshore for much of the time. Only long-period shadow energy or a rare Atlantic depression can produce rideable conditions, so expect small, punchy, mainly windswell-driven days.