Barra Vento Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Barra Vento over the next couple of weeks.

Alright, straight up, the first week is a bit of a write-off. We’re lookin’ at a whole lot of nothin’ from the 22nd right through to the 25th of August. Small, weak, short-period wind swell—around 2 ft to 3 ft—with a nasty cross or cross-onshore breeze choppin’ it all up. The water’s a balmy 79°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a thick steamer, but there’s just no surf to speak of. It’s a real flat spell.

Now, things start to get interestin’ from the 26th. We see a shift in the swell direction to a proper S/SSE groundswell, with a long period of 14 to 16 seconds. The energy really starts to build, with moderate readings (190 to 369). The morning of Wednesday the 26th is a glimmer of hope, with clean conditions and a light cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is still tiny at 2 ft. It’s surfable, but barely.

The standout window, and the one you should pencil in, is the mornings of Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th of August. We’re looking at clean, glassy conditions with light offshore winds from the NE and NNE. The swell is a bit more substantial at 2 ft to 3 ft, but it’s that long-period groundswell (14 to 16 seconds) that’ll put some real push and shape into the waves. The combined energy is good, hittin’ 369 and 304 respectively. This is the best the forecast has to offer. It’s a beginner-friendly break, so it’s not gonna be too intimidating, but the quality for the size will be superb. Keep in mind the afternoon winds swing around and trash it, so it’s a dawn patrol mission.

The following week, from the 29th of August onward, the swell pulses up a bit more, regularly hitting 4 ft to 5 ft, but the direction shifts back to a shorter-period E/ESE wind swell. The clean mornings with offshore winds return on the 29th, 31st, and into September, offering some fun, clean waves. The 1st of September morning looks particularly punchy, with a strong energy reading of 453. The waves will be a bit more powerful and lined up, but still very manageable for a beginner. The 5th of September sees some bigger, more powerful 5 ft swell, but the wind is howlin’ onshore, makin’ a mess of it. That one’s for the kites, not the paddlers.

So, to sum it up: the first few days are a gut-wrenchin’ flat spell. The real gold is on the 27th and 28th of August mornings. After that, there’s plenty of fun, clean waves to be had on the early shifts, just don’t expect the same quality as that first groundswell pulse.

Rusty.

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