Buritaca Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaking out for Buritaca over the next couple of weeks.

Well, the first few days are a bit of a tough one. We’ve got some swell, but the conditions are just not lining up. The water is sitting at 81°, which is bang on average for this time of year – nothing to write home about that. The week starts with a weak, messy NE windswell that’s only pushing 5ft with a short 6-second period, and the combined energy is weak (167). The wind is all over the place, and the waves are just poor. Tuesday afternoon sees a jump in energy to 284, but still, the quality is only “good” on paper, and the wind is cross-offshore, which is promising, but it’s a stormy afternoon. Honestly, Wednesday and Thursday are more of the same – light cross-onshore winds making for a bumpy surface. The swell height hangs around 4ft to 5ft, but the period stays short, and the energy never gets above 223. It’s just not worth paddling out for.

Friday morning (24th July) we get a brief moment of calm with glassy conditions in the afternoon, but the swell is only 4ft and the period is 7 seconds, so it’s super ordinary. Saturday (25th July) is actually the best of this first week. The morning is glassy with a 5ft NE swell and a period of 8 seconds, pushing 300 in combined energy. That’s decent, and the offshore wind from the NNE will keep it clean. It’s a bit of a standout in a week of mediocrity. Expect some crowds though, as the consistency is good and the river/point setup at Buritaca is a magnet for beginners.

After Saturday, the energy drops off again. Sunday through to Wednesday (26th-29th July) sees the swell dip back to 4ft-5ft, with periods of 7 seconds and energy levels mostly in the 150-250 range. The winds are mostly light and cross-shore or glassy, but the waves are just “surfable” or “marginal” at best. Not a lot of push or power.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Thursday the 30th of July. The morning session is a big one. The swell jumps to 7ft from the NE, with an 8-second period, and the combined energy rockets to 640. That’s a lot of juice. The wind is glassy from the east. However, the file notes that this is likely too big for Buritaca. For a river/point break that’s great for beginners, 7ft is pushing into expert territory. It’s going to be a big, powerful, and potentially unruly wave. Not for the faint of heart or the shortboarder looking for a chill session. Friday the 31st of July is similar, with a 7ft swell in the morning (545 energy) and glassy winds.

Then things settle down again. The first week of August sees a return to the 4ft-5ft range with 7-8 second periods. The energy is moderate (200-400). The winds are a mix of cross-on and glassy, but the quality remains marginal. Wednesday the 5th of August afternoon has a bit of a spark with a 6ft swell and cross-offshore wind from the SW, giving cleaner conditions, but the overall energy is still moderate (413).

Overall: The real standout is the window from Thursday 30th July to Friday 31st July. That’s the biggest swell of the period, and the wind is glassy. But it’s a big one for Buritaca – more of an expert wave. For the average surfer, the best bet is Saturday the 25th of July, with clean, glassy 5ft waves. The rest of the period is a lot of average, marginal surf. There’s a big gap of nothing special from the 27th to the 29th of July, and again from the 1st to the 5th of August. It’s not a total blank, but it’s patchy. Keep an eye on that last week of July, though.

Rusty.

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