Barrinha Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right. Gather ‘round. Rusty here, with a look at what’s on the table for our local stretch.

First things, we’ve got some clean lines and decent push turning up here and there, but don’t go trading your board in for a kite just yet – there are plenty of good paddling windows. The water temp is running at a very comfortable 66° right now which is bang on normal for this time of year, so just grab your usual spring suit. Spot we’re looking at is Barrinha.

Thursday 13 August kicks things off proper. Morning session is a standout. We’ve got a solid 7ft swell rolling in from the south with a nice long 14-second period – that’s real groundswell energy, the kind that lines up well. The wind is a light 6 mph cross-off breeze, keeping things clean for experienced surfers. The combined energy is pumping at (1576), so there’s plenty of grunt. A bit punchy for beginners at that size, but if you’ve got the skills, it’s on. The afternoon eases just slightly to 6ft but holds clean. Crowds are a possibility here.

Friday 14 August looks more average. The wind swings onshore, killing that clean face, and the tide might mess with what’s there. Swell drops to around 6ft in the morning. Not worth rushing out for.

Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 get a bit messy. Saturday morning has a small, 4ft S swell but it’s cross-on and a bit bumpy. By the afternoon and into Sunday, the wind picks up and the quality goes downhill fast. There’s a window of pretty much nothing worthwhile from Monday 17 right through until early Friday 21 August. It’s a week of tiny, blown-out or glassy-but-micro waves, with combined energy dropping as low as (7) at one point. Basically, a blank run.

Then we get a promising little pulse. On Friday 21 August, the morning brings a clean 7ft southerly swell with a light offshore wind (9 mph, WSW). It’s a bit short period at 8 seconds, so it’s more of a windswell punch, but with that offshore wind, it’ll be fun and ripable. The combined energy is moderate (471). Good for a session.

Saturday 22 August morning is worth a look too – glassy conditions (0 wind) with a clean 5ft, 10-second S swell. That combo of no wind and decent groundswell energy (503) is sweet for a relaxed paddle.

Now for the real standout of the forecast. Mark your calendar for Sunday 24 August. The afternoon session sees a clean, solid 7ft S swell with a 13-second period (groundswell) and light cross-off wind. The combined energy is pumping at (1440). Excellent, powerful surf for experienced surfers. Then, Monday 25 August pushes even bigger during the afternoon – a meaty 8ft S swell with the same 12-second period. This is big, heavy stuff – combine that energy (3663) with a bit of a cross-onshore kink, and it’s going to be big, messy, and only for the brave. That Sunday the 24th afternoon is your best bet for a clean, powerful session before the swell gets a bit too unruly.

Overall, we’ve got a few standout mornings and a stellar clean window on Sunday the 24th. Don’t sleep on Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd mornings either. The second week has some bigger, less clean options for the experts, but that first wave is the one to chase.

Rusty.

Read more