Barrinha Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for the next couple of weeks.

Right from the start, we’re in a flat spell. Tuesday and most of Wednesday are a bust – tiny amounts of energy with lousy conditions. It actually takes until Wednesday morning for something surfable to show, and to be honest, it’s pretty ordinary. We’ve got a small 4ft swell from the east (8-second period) and clean conditions thanks to a light offshore breeze, but the energy is weak (254). That’ll be the first real chance to get wet, but don’t expect much.

Thursday keeps the small east swell around 3ft, and with light offshore winds again in the morning, it’ll be clean but gutless. The combined energy is still low (176). You might get a few fun ones, but it’s not going to set the world on fire.

Friday brings a change – a longer period groundswell from the southeast (12 seconds) but it’s only 3ft. The energy picks up (385), but the onshore winds and cross-on shore chop ruin any chance of quality. Not your day.

Saturday morning is a sneaky little highlight for the patient surfer. At Barrinha, we get glassy conditions with a light 2ft swell from the southeast (11 seconds). The energy is minimal (97), but for a small-wave board, it’ll be clean and fun with no wind. If you’re after a quiet, mellow session, that’s the window. But it won’t last – the afternoon gets chopped up.

Sunday and Monday are a write-off. Small, messy, windy, or just poor quality. The swell mixes up, but the conditions don’t line up. Tuesday afternoon (Sep 10) is another spot to watch. We’ve got a proper groundswell from the south-southeast (13 seconds) with a modest 3ft. The energy is solid (419 in the morning, 334 in the afternoon), and more importantly, the wind is light to gentle and cross-offshore both sessions. That means clean, well-shaped waves for an intermediate surfer. This is likely the best day of the whole stretch – consistent, clean, and with long-period lines. Because of the longer period, this southeast swell will wrap in nicely but might be a bit straight at a beach break, so Barrinha’s setup should handle it.

After that, things go downhill. From Sep 11 through to Sep 16, it’s a string of poor surf. Onshore winds, chop, and cross-on conditions dominate. There is a pulse of swell mid-week the second week, but the wind ruins it. On Sep 16, we see a bigger 8ft southeast swell (8 seconds) with moderate energy (1175) and clean conditions from a cross-offshore breeze. That’s definitely a size for experienced surfers only. For the average punter, it’s gonna be a handful, and the short period will make it bumpy. For the experts, it might be a fun, powerful session.

Overall, the standout window is Tuesday September 10th: clean, 3ft of long-period southeast groundswell, good energy, light winds. That’s your best bet. The second standout is Wednesday morning September 16th for the bigger crew – 8ft, clean, but only for the guys with skill.

The rest is mostly small or messy. If you’re just wanting a paddle, there’s a few mornings with clean small waves, but don’t get your hopes up for anything epic.

Remember, the water temp is 73°F, which is pretty average for this time of year, so a shorty or spring suit will do.

Stay tuned, things can change.

- Rusty

Read more