Bahia Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s shaping up for Bahia.

Look, to be straight with you, the next week and a half is pretty flat and weak. We’re looking at tiny, short-period SW groundswell, mostly around 1ft to 2ft, with combined energy readings mostly in the weak to moderate range (under 200) – it’s just not got any punch. The water’s sitting at 89°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a wetsuit, but you’ll be doing more floating than surfing for a while.

Monday the 17th afternoon is a write-off – a strong onshore SW wind at 19 mph and poor surf. Forget it. Tuesday the 18th morning, we get a brief moment of glassy conditions, but it’s still only 2ft and the wave comment says “surfable but very ordinary.” That’s the story for most of the mornings through to the 27th of August – you’ll get clean or glassy windows with light offshore breezes, but the swell is just too small to get excited about. Afternoons are generally junked up by a cross-shore or onshore wind.

There’s a real gap here where nothing is worth paddling out for.

Then things start to look up. On Friday morning the 28th of August, we get a solid increase in energy – 289 – with a clean cross-offshore ESE breeze and a 1ft SSW swell. The wave comment says “expect good surf conditions.” That’s our first real standout, but the size is still tiny.

The true highlight comes on Saturday the 29th of August morning. The swell picks up to 3ft from the SSW with a 17-second period – that’s proper groundswell energy – and the combined energy jumps to a strong 522. We’ve got a light cross-offshore ESE breeze, making for clean conditions. This is the best on offer. Bahia is an exposed reef break, so that long-period SSW groundswell (optimum is from the WNW, but this is close enough) should wrap in nicely. The wave comment says “expect very good surf conditions.” Get on it early. The afternoon goes onshore and blows out.

Sunday the 30th morning is still solid – 3ft SSW, light offshore ENE wind, and 301 energy – a good backup session. After that, it fades back down into the 2ft to 2ft range with moderate energy and mixed winds for the start of September.

So to sum it up: don’t bother before the 28th. The 29th of August morning is the clear standout. Be there.

- Rusty

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