Barra do Ceara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Gap in the surf? Yeah, you’re looking at a long stretch of nothing really worth paddling out for at Barra do Ceara. The whole 16-day window is a bit of a flat spell energy-wise, and I’m not going to sugarcoat it. The models are showing waves, but they’re mostly short-period, wind-chopped lumps that aren't going to give you much to work with.

The water’s sitting at 81°, which is about average for the time of year, so no complaints there, but the surf itself is a different story.

First week, from Thursday the 20th through to the following Wednesday, the swell is small, running 4ft to 6ft, all from the east and with a short period of 6-7 seconds. That’s weak, disorganized energy. The combined energy is in the low to mid hundreds, like 143 to 318, which tells you it’s just not packing any punch. Mornings are your only real look, with a cross-offshore wind from the southeast at 16 mph keeping things clean, but the afternoons turn into a cross-shore mess. It’s just not worth the hassle for these gutless waves.

The one bright spot in the whole run is Tuesday, August 25th. The morning surf bumps up to 6ft, still from the east, and the period pushes to 8 seconds. Combined energy gets up to 428, which is moderate but the biggest we see. It’s still short-period though, so it’ll be a bit fat and soft. It’s a beginner-friendly size, and with that cross-offshore wind it might be the closest thing to a fun session you’ll get all week. But don’t expect any fireworks.

The middle of the window, from the 26th to the 31st, just rolls over with the same story – 4ft to 5ft, east swell, 6-7 second periods, and energy levels that never get out of the low 200s. The wind stays mostly cross or cross-off, but there’s nothing about it that’s going to get you out of bed.

The second week into September is even more of the same. It’s flat and weak, with the swell dropping to around 5ft and the period stuck at 6-7 seconds. The energy is consistently in the 180s to 230s, which is just weak. And by the 3rd and 4th, the wind picks up a bit, hitting 19 mph from the east-southeast, and it turns into a lumpy cross-shore chop. At that point, with that weak, short-period swell and that wind, your board is going to feel like a kite. If you’re not into that, this stretch is a hard pass.

Look, there’s nothing here for anyone but the real beginners or the most desperate. For the first week, the 25th morning is your best bet, but even that’s a marginal call. After that, it just deteriorates into a long, flat, and choppy run. It’s one of those times where you might be better off checking the forecast again in a few days. Things can change.

Rusty.

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