Barrinha Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s coming.

The first real highlight is Monday morning, the 24th of August. Barrinha is looking solid with a 7 ft swell out of the south, and that 14-second period is pure groundswell – proper energy. The wind is glassy, off the southwest at only 3 mph, so the surface will be like a mirror. Water temp is 66°, right on the average for this time of year. The combined energy is 3029 – that’s serious power. This is for experienced surfers only; 7 ft is no joke for beginners. The swell direction from the south matches well with the optimum SE here, so expect long, clean lines. Crowds are possible – it’s fairly exposed and consistent, so get out early.

Monday afternoon sees the wind shift cross-shore from the SSE at 6 mph, and while the swell stays at 7 ft, the quality drops. Still surfable, but the clean edge is gone.

Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th are downhill. The swell drops a bit, and we’re stuck with cross-onshore winds – NNE mostly, picking up to 12-15 mph. The wave energy drops from 3029 down to 937 by Tuesday afternoon, and the forecast calls it poor. Wednesday afternoon is a write-off with 15 mph cross-onshore and choppy conditions.

Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th are even worse. Swell drops to 5 ft and then down to 2 ft, with winds still cross-onshore. Friday afternoon sees a risk of thunderstorms and the wave energy is down to a tiny 68. Not worth paddling out.

Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th are flat. Swell down to 1-2 ft, glassy but no power. The combined energy is under 25. You’re better off having a sleep-in.

Monday the 31st of August through to mid-week is a gap of poor conditions. Swell stays small, winds are messy, and the energy is low. Tuesday the 1st of September does see a bump in swell to 7 ft from the south, but the wind is a strong 19 mph cross-off from the south. That’s clean, but the period is a short 7 seconds – lumpy, windswell, not great for a good wave. The energy is 414, but it’s not the kind of surf you’ll remember.

Now, there’s a real promising window way out. Tuesday morning on the 8th of September. Barrinha picks up a 6 ft swell from the SSE, but the period jumps to 15 seconds – that’s a very long period groundswell. Wind is light from the south at 3 mph, cross-off, so clean faces. The combined energy is 1569 – strong. This is a standout for the second week, but it’s a long way out, so treat it as promising rather than certain. The long period will favour the point and reef setups here, but at Barrinha it might be a bit too straight for a beach break – still, with that energy and clean wind, it’s worth circling. Afternoon sees the swell bump to 7 ft, but the wind turns onshore, so morning is the call.

There’s a gap of several days from the end of August through to the 8th of September with no real standout surf. The consistency is low during that stretch, but the area does have these blank runs from time to time. It won’t stay poor forever.

Overall, Monday the 24th of August morning is the best bet – that’s your standout. Keep an eye on Tuesday the 8th of September, but don’t lock it in yet.

Rusty.

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