Bahia Santa Cruz Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s talk waves for Bahia Santa Cruz. We’ve got a bit of a slow start on the menu, but the back half of this window is where the story is. The first week is mostly small and a bit jumbled, so you’ll need some patience. The water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting around 88° Fahrenheit, a slight bonus.

Right out of the gate, Tuesday the 18th is the pick of the early run. Early morning sees a glassy surface with a light ESE breeze, and a clean, waist-high southwest swell at 3.6 ft with a 14-second period. The energy is moderate. It’s not big, but it’ll be clean and user-friendly. The afternoon, however, goes onshore and messy, so you want to be out there early.

Wednesday and Thursday mornings are still in the mix, but the swell is dropping off and the winds are a bit crossy, making things look only marginal. We’ve got light cross-shore ripples, and it’s not really offering much. The afternoon sea breezes ruin any chance of consistency.

Friday the 21st goes glassy again in the morning with a tiny 2.6 ft SSW swell. Again, it’s clean but very small and the period has dropped to 10 seconds, so it’s weak. Saturday the 22nd morning is another glassy one with a slightly better 2.6 ft swell, but the period is up to 16 seconds, giving it a bit more push. The energy is moderate-high, and it should be clean.

Then we hit the next week. Sunday the 23rd morning has a glassy dawn with a long-period 18-second SW swell at 2.3 ft. It’s clean, but that long period might make it a bit too lined up for the beach break. Still, worthwhile for a surf.

Monday the 24th is similar, with a glassy morning and a long-period SW swell. Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th are back to small, with glassy mornings and 2 ft swells. These are just small, clean days for the longboard.

The real standout is the final weekend. Saturday the 29th of August. This is the one. The morning is glassy as the swell jumps to 5.6 ft from the SW with a 17-second period. The energy is huge, over 1700, which is strong. This is the call for experienced surfers, as it’s getting big and powerful. It’s still clean with light offshore winds. The Sunday the 30th is also excellent, with a 5.6 ft SSW swell and a glassy, calm morning. The energy is still very strong. Expect proper waves, but this is pushing into expert territory. The afternoons are likely to get a bit cross-onshore and messier with that size.

The following Monday and Tuesday mornings are still okay, with 4.3-4.6 ft SSW swells and glassy conditions, but they’re a step down from the weekend's energy. Keep an eye on the afternoon t-storm risk. So, for the best of it, look to the morning sessions of the 29th and 30th. Big, clean, and powerful—that’s the highlight.

Read more