Bicas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's get stuck into what's on the table for our local stretch.

First up, I've got to level with you. The water's sitting about average for this time of year, so no major surprises there. The region's known as Bicas, and the only spot on the cards is a tricky little reef setup called Bicas. Now, this wave is a rare one—it rarely breaks—and it's an advanced wave for the crew who know what they're doing. It's exposed to the swell, but the optimum direction for it to work is from the west, which is a bit of a curveball.

Looking at the whole 16-day window, it's a pretty grim picture. The first proper surfable wave pops up on Wednesday morning, the 19th of August. We get a tiny 2 ft swell from the northwest, with a short 8-second period, so it's weak and gutless. The combined energy is a measly 60, so there's almost no power behind it. The wind is a light cross-off from the south, which keeps it clean, but it's just too small and weak to get excited about. The afternoon goes downhill with a cross-on wind.

Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st are a write-off. The wind turns onshore and gets stronger, and the swell is small and messy. A few pulses of swell come through, with energy climbing into the hundreds by Friday, but the wind is straight onshore from the northwest, turning it into a choppy, blown-out mess. It's a hard pass.

Saturday and Sunday the 22nd and 23rd offer a slight glimmer. Sunday morning, the 23rd, shows a light rain chance with a light SSW breeze at 3 mph, giving a clean cross-off. The swell is only 2 ft, but the energy is a moderate 168. The period is still short at 8 seconds, so it's not going to be punchy. It's surfable, but it's ordinary. The afternoon holds up with a similar clean cross-off.

Then we hit a massive dead zone. From Monday the 24th through to the end of the month, it's a wall of poor surf conditions. The wind is almost always onshore or cross-onshore, from moderate to fresh breezes, and the swell direction is all from the northwest, which is not the optimum for this break. The wave comment is consistently "poor surf conditions" or "marginal forecast." A few days, like the 25th, have a glassy wind in the morning, but the swell is tiny (2 ft) and the energy is a pathetic 39. Not worth paddling out for.

The pattern continues into September. The first of the month sees some moderate energy levels (300 on Tuesday morning), but the wind is still cross-on or onshore, and the wave comment is still "poor surf conditions." The whole first week of September is much of the same: northwest swell with onshore winds, keeping the surf quality in the gutter.

Honestly, the only time you might get a half-decent, clean wave is Sunday morning, the 23rd of August. The swell is small, but the wind is right. For a wave that rarely breaks, that's the one to look at, but keep your expectations in the basement. The rest of the 16 days is a total blank run for quality surf. Given the reef setup and the persistent onshore winds through the strong swell pulses, this looks more interesting for a kite session than a paddle session on most days.

Rusty.

Read more