Barrinha Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a 16-day window to look at and honestly, it’s a bit of a slow burner for the most part. The first few days are a write-off, but there’s a couple of moments that could make it worth paddling out.

The first real chance to get wet doesn’t show up until Thursday the 23rd. Before that, we’re looking at tiny, poor surf with weak energy (20-51) and just not enough to get excited about. Wednesday the 22nd is glassy in the morning, but the swell is only 2 ft – barely a ripple.

Things finally start to wake up on Thursday the 23rd. The morning shows a jump to 6 ft from the south-southeast, with a clean cross-off breeze and the combined energy climbing to 940. That’s moderate energy starting to push in. The afternoon really gets going though – 7 ft from the SSE, period of 9 seconds, clean surf, and the energy reading at 708. This is the first standout. The wind is a light cross-off, so conditions should be clean, but that wave size is getting into more serious territory – it’s not for beginners. This is the best of the first week.

Friday the 24th morning is a genuine treat. The wind drops to glassy, and we’ve got 6 ft of clean swell from the southeast with 468 energy. That’s a beautiful morning surf. The onshore wind and funky tide conditions blow out the afternoon, so get it while it’s good.

Saturday the 25th has a clean afternoon session with 5 ft from the southeast and a 9-second period, with 489 energy and a cross-off breeze. That’s a solid option for the weekend.

There’s a big gap of poor conditions after that. From Sunday the 26th through to the end of July, we’re looking at a run of choppy, cross-onshore winds and weak swell. The energy drops down into the 100s and lower. A few glassy moments pop up on the 27th morning (3 ft, ESE, 279 energy) and again on the 29th morning (5 ft, but from the NE with a short 5-second period – that’s sloppy). Not really worth the drive.

Then the real kicker shows up in the long-range. On Wednesday the 5th of August, conditions flip. The swell jumps to a massive 10 ft from the SSE with a 9-second period, and the combined energy rockets to 2289 – that’s strong, powerful stuff. The wind is a clean cross-off, but this is a warning: 10 ft is way too big for most surfers. This is expert territory only. The setup might be more interesting for the kite crowd than a paddle surfer unless you’ve got the skills and the right board. It’s a promising but uncertain call this far out.

Alright, let’s break down the standout. Barrinha is a fairly exposed beach, so it catches pretty much everything. The optimum swell direction here is southeast, and that’s exactly what we’re getting for the best windows. The water temps are about average for this time of year, nothing unusual. The break can get crowded sometimes, so on the 23rd afternoon and 24th morning, expect company.

The main event is Thursday 23rd afternoon and Friday 24th morning. The best solo session is Friday morning – glassy, 6 ft, clean. That’s my pick.

Rusty.

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