Barra do Sul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Barra do Sul over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the first week is pretty flat and ordinary. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and messy conditions from Saturday the 25th of July all the way through to the end of the month. The swell is tiny, mostly around 2 ft to 2 ft, with short periods (5 to 9 seconds) and low combined wave energy (mostly between 47 and 164). The wind is often cross-onshore or onshore, so the surf is choppy and pretty uninspiring. There’s a brief moment on Sunday morning the 26th – glassy, 3 ft from the ESE with a light NW breeze (5 km/h), but the swell is weak and the conditions are just “surfable but ordinary.” Not worth paddling out for. The water temp is sitting at 66°F, which is about 0.9°F above the norm – nothing unusual, just your average cool winter water.

Then we hit a bit of a dead zone. From Monday the 28th through to Thursday the 30th, it’s all under 2 ft, with even less energy. Friday the 31st is a little better – glassy on the afternoon with 2 ft, period 8 seconds, and 80 energy – but still, nothing to get excited about. The first Saturday (August 1st) shows a slight bump with 3 ft from the NE, but the wind goes cross-shore and the quality drops.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. After a long, quiet spell, we finally see some real swell kicking in around Monday the 3rd of August. The morning of the 3rd looks like the best session of the whole outlook. Glassy conditions, calm wind, 3 ft swell from the SE with a solid 12-second period – that’s groundswell, folks. Combined energy jumps to 386 (moderate). The water is clean, the waves will have some shape and punch. This is the standout for the whole period.

Tuesday the 4th morning is also glassy, with 4 ft from the ENE, period 7 seconds, and 349 energy – fun, but shorter period. Wednesday the 5th morning is glassy again, 5 ft from the E, period 9 seconds, energy 351 – clean, but that’s getting a bit big for beginners. Thursday the 6th morning sees the biggest swell, 5 ft from the E, period 9 seconds, energy 412 – strong, glassy, and for the experienced crew only. Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th mornings both offer glassy conditions with 5 ft to 5 ft, and energy around 330-351. Then Sunday the 9th morning brings offshore wind (WNW, 5 km/h), 4 ft from the E, period 10 seconds, and 367 energy – clean, lined up, and very fun.

Crowds at Barra do Sul are sometimes an issue, so for the standout mornings (especially Monday the 3rd and Sunday the 9th), expect a few locals out. The break is exposed to the east, and the optimum swell direction is east – so when the swell hits from the E or ESE, it’s right on the money.

If you’re a beginner, stick to the mornings from the 3rd to the 5th when it’s under 5 ft and glassy. Anything over 5 ft (like Thursday the 6th) is for experts only. The long period on the 3rd (12 seconds) will make for better waves, but it might break a bit straight at the beach – still, with glassy wind, it’s a treat.

So, the long and short of it: the first week is a write-off. The second week, from Monday the 3rd of August onward, gives us a solid run of clean, glassy mornings with fun, rideable swell. The best on offer is Monday the 3rd morning, with Sunday the 9th morning a close second. Get out there.

Rusty.

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