Barra do Sul Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down the next couple of weeks of surf. It’s a quiet start, so don’t rush to wax up just yet.

We’re looking at a long stretch of small, weak surf that’s not really worth chasing until the second week. The early days are all small, short-period windswell with hardly any energy behind it. You’ll see a little bump around the 20th of August, but it’s tiny and the conditions are just ordinary. The 22nd has a glimmer of hope with glassy conditions on the Saturday morning, but the swell is only 2ft from the SE with a long period of 10 seconds – a bit of a tease. The real standout doesn’t show up until Tuesday the 25th of August.

The best bet on offer is Barra do Sul on the morning of Tuesday, 25th August. We’ve got a clean 3ft swell from the SE, with a period of 14 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell, so it’ll have some shape and push. The wind is a glassy NNE breeze at 5 km/h, so the surface will be clean as a whistle. The combined energy hits 226 (moderate), so there’s enough grunt for a fun session. The water temp is sitting at 67°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no shock to the system there. Just keep in mind this spot is exposed, so the SE swell will wrap in nicely. For a beginner-friendly break, this is the window.

The next morning, Wednesday, 26th August, also looks promising with a tiny 2ft swell, but a very long period of 18 seconds. That’s a deep-water swell. The wind is a light offshore from the W, and the water will be glassy. The energy is strong at 296 (moderate), so for the size, those waves will have some serious punch. This is a point-break kind of day – the long period will make the waves stand up and reel, but at a beach break it might just be a bit too straight. Definitely worth a look if you’re after clean, lined-up waves.

Thursday, 27th August, morning is another good window. Glassy conditions with a 2ft SE swell, 14-second period, and 265 (moderate) energy. The wind is light from the W, so it’ll be clean again. These three mornings – 25th, 26th, and 27th – are your best bets. After that, the swell drops off again and the wind turns messy.

There’s a bigger pulse of swell early in September, with waves up to 7ft on the 2nd of September, but the wind is onshore or cross-shore, and the period is short at 8 seconds. That’s a messy, blown-out situation. The energy is high at 520 (strong), but for a beginner spot, that’s too big and the conditions will be poor. It’s really only for the experienced crew, and even then, it’s going to be a bit of a washing machine.

Crowds at Barra do Sul are listed as “sometimes” busy, so on those clean days, expect a few others with the same idea.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off, with a few small, clean windows. The standout is the string of mornings from the 25th to the 27th of August. Get in the water then, because after that, it’s back to the waiting game.

Rusty.

Read more