Barrinha Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab a coffee, let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Barrinha over the next couple of weeks.

Alright, so the short story is: don’t get too excited for the first week. We’ve got a proper flat spell on the way, and it’s gonna be a bit of a wait. The first real surf window doesn’t show up until about Monday the 24th, and that’s where the juice is. Before that, we’re looking at a solid 10-day stretch of pretty ordinary conditions, with a few days of absolute nothing.

The water temp is sitting at 66°F, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no wetsuit drama there.

The first sniff of anything worth paddling out for is actually Friday morning the 14th. We’ve got a 6ft south-southeast groundswell, period at 13 seconds, and the combined energy is strong at 1375. But here’s the kicker – the wind is a light cross-onshore from the east at 6 mph, and the wave comment is "marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions." It’s a bit of a tease, really. That afternoon, the swell jumps to 8ft, same direction, with a very strong energy reading of 2646, but the wind shifts to onshore. It’s big, but not clean. Honestly, for a spot that’s fairly exposed, this is more of a look-and-see situation.

Saturday the 15th is a write-off. The morning is a 5ft south swell with cross-onshore wind, and the afternoon is a messy 7ft easterly windswell at a short 8 seconds with energy at 842. Choppy and poor. Then from Sunday the 16th right through to Thursday the 20th, we’re talking tiny waves – 0.7ft to 3ft – with moderate cross-onshore winds. The combined energy drops to double digits, like 10 or 11. It’s flat. No two ways about it.

Now, Friday the 21st, we get a bit of a reprieve. The swell is small, only 2ft, but the wind goes glassy. The morning is calm, the afternoon has a slight air. The energy is modest (83 to 142), but it’s clean. The waves are "surfable but very ordinary." You could get a few knee-high runners if you’re desperate. Same story for Saturday the 22nd – tiny, clean, but small.

The Standout – Monday 24th August

This is the one to circle on the calendar. Monday morning, the 24th, we get a 5ft south swell, period at 12 seconds, with a combined energy of 716. The wind is offshore from the southwest at 6 mph, and the wave comment says "expect very good surf conditions." That’s a clean, lined-up groundswell with offshore wind. The swell direction is south, which matches the optimum from the southeast reasonably well, so Barrinha should be handling it nicely. This is the best on offer, no question. It’s a solid intermediate-sized wave, not too big for most, but with that long period, it’ll have some punch. Expect some clean, head-high sets.

The afternoon on the 24th drops a touch to 4ft with cross-offshore wind, still good, but the morning is the pick.

Tuesday the 25th keeps the good run going with glassy conditions and 3ft to 3ft south swell, period 11 seconds. Clean, fun, smaller waves. Wednesday the 26th is similar, clean but a little smaller, and then Thursday the 27th morning offers a glassy 4ft easterly windswell, though the period is a short 8 seconds, so it’ll be a bit walled-up and weak compared to the groundswell earlier in the week.

After that, the wind turns ugly on the 28th, and the last few days of the outlook are small and ordinary again.

So, bottom line: if you’ve got a paddle in you, wait for the 24th of August. That Monday morning glass-off with a solid south groundswell is your best bet. Before that, it’s a long flat spell with only a few tiny, clean windows for a log.

Rusty.

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