Barrinha Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, then a small clean window, and a later run that could be the real deal if it holds. Let’s break it down.

The first real surf worth paddling out for is Friday morning, the 10th of July, at Barrinha. It’s a fairly exposed beach-and-reef setup, and the water is much colder than normal for this time of year—sitting at 60°F with a -6°F anomaly, so you’ll want a thick wetsuit. The swell is a clean 3ft from the ESE at 12 seconds, which is a nice long-period groundswell, giving good shape but longer lulls between sets. Wind is glassy out of the SW at 3 mph, so it’ll be smooth and clean. The combined energy is moderate (288). This is a standout for the early part of the forecast—small but glassy, and crowds are sometimes an issue here, so get in early.

Friday afternoon stays clean but drops to a cross-off wind, swell bumps a little to 4ft, and energy picks up (401). Still good, but that morning glass is the pick.

Saturday the 11th turns nasty. Swell hangs around 5ft from the ESE, period still 13 seconds, but wind swings N at 9 mph cross-on and there’s light rain. Choppy and messy. Not worth it.

Sunday morning the 12th is a real bright spot. Clear skies, light offshore wind from the SW at 6 mph, and the swell is 4ft from the ESE at 12 seconds. The combined energy jumps to strong (957) and the conditions are clean. This is the best session of the first week—maybe the whole outlook. The swell direction (ESE) matches the optimum for Barrinha (SE) perfectly. It’s not too big for intermediates, and that offshore wind will have the lines nice. Sometimes crowded, but worth it.

Sunday afternoon sees the swell shift to 5ft from the S at 10 seconds, with a cross-off breeze picking up to 12 mph. Energy is very strong (1030), but the wind is moderate, so it’s a bit on the edge—marginal.

Monday the 13th is a drop-off. Swell from the S at 6ft but short period (7 seconds), so weak, lumpy energy. The wind is cross-off, but that short period makes it fat and messy. Not for beginners—too big and weak.

Tuesday the 14th through to the 21st of July is a long dry spell. Swell barely reaches 2ft, wind is mostly cross-on or onshore, and scores are poor. There’s a gap of about 8 days with nothing worth recommending. The energy drops to weak values (down to 21). For a break that’s usually fairly consistent, this is a quiet stretch.

Then things wake up. Wednesday the 22nd brings a pulse of 6ft from the S at only 8 seconds—short period, cross-on wind, messy. Not clean.

But Thursday morning the 23rd is another glassy gem. Wind is glassy from the SSW at 3 mph, swell is a consistent 5ft from the S at 10 seconds, and the energy is moderate (392). Clean lines, no wind chop. This is a standout later in the outlook, though it’s more than a week away—promising but less certain.

Friday the 24th morning has a 5ft S swell at a very long 14-second period, with a cross breeze from the N at 9 mph. Energy is strong (932) but that long period might make it a bit straight at a beach break—better if you find a rip or corner. Still, promising.

Saturday the 25th offers a 6ft S swell at 8 seconds—short period again, cross-off wind, moderate breeze. Too big and weak for good shape, but might be fun for experienced surfers on a bigger board.

Overall, the standouts are Sunday morning the 12th and Thursday morning the 23rd. The 12th is the best on offer—clean, offshore, proper swell direction, and moderate energy. The 23rd is glassy and clean but further out. Don’t waste your time through the middle of July.

Rusty.

Read more