Reading Change From The Lineup At Costa Da Caparica

As a surfer, I have watched familiar sandbars and wave patterns disappear or become unstable, reshaped by rising sea levels, stronger storms, and repeated coastal engineering. From the water, the coastline feels increasingly uneven: areas stabilized by groynes and beach nourishment sit beside zones of intensified erosion, stronger currents, and unpredictable breaks. This patchiness reflects a landscape shaped by attempts to control change, where modular interventions produce new, unintended effects elsewhere. What disappears is not only a surf spot, but a way of knowing and moving through the coast—a relationship built through repetition, memory, and shared rhythms with the sea.