Buritaca Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up.

The overall pattern is a slow burn of small to moderate NE windswell, but the real standout is a pulse of bigger, more powerful energy that arrives toward the end of the first week and into the second. Keep your wits about you, because the sweet spot is narrow.

We start off with Buritaca on Saturday afternoon, 22nd August. Nice little intro – cloudy skies, glassy as a mirror with a light 5 km/h breeze from the NE. Swell is a clean 5 ft from the NE, period a short 7 seconds, so it’s a bit of a windswell, but with the energy sitting at 225 (moderate) and the water at 28°, about average for the time of year, this is a solid, fun, beginner-friendly wave. The river/point setup handles this kind of swell well, and it’s very consistent, so you’ll get waves. Keep an eye on the crowd factor though, it gets busy here sometimes.

Sunday morning, the 23rd, we see a drop in size to 4 ft and the wind turns cross-onshore, making it a bit messy. Not the best. The afternoon picks up a touch to 4 ft and goes glassy again, but the energy is only 149 (weak) and the conditions are described as ordinary. The rest of that week, from Monday 24th through Tuesday 25th, is a bit of a mixed bag – small waves around 4 ft to 5 ft, but often with cross-on winds or that risk of thunderstorms. The energy stays moderate but the quality isn’t there.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Wednesday morning, the 26th of August, we’ve got 6 ft from the NE, period still 8 seconds, but a glassy offshore wind from the NW. The energy jumps to 389 (moderate) and the comments say “expect good surf conditions”. This is a strong contender for the best of the run. The swell is a bit bigger but still manageable for most surfers, and that glassy surface will make it clean. The afternoon stays solid but the wind turns onshore, so the morning is the window.

The big one hits on Thursday, 27th August. The morning shows 7 ft of NE swell, period 8 seconds, and the energy is up at 530 (strong). The wind is light cross-shore from the East. Now, here’s the catch – the report says the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. At 7 ft, this is getting into expert-only territory, and a river/point break can get a bit unruly with that much power. The afternoon is similar, with cross-on wind. This is the biggest swell of the period, but it’s a double-edged sword: great power, but sketchy for most.

The following week, from Friday 28th August onward, the swell settles back down to the 4 ft to 5 ft range, with occasional glassy windows. The standout there is Saturday morning, 30th August – 5 ft, glassy, 8 second period, 250 energy (moderate). Then Sunday afternoon, 31st August, it goes totally calm with 0 km/h wind, glassy, and 5 ft from the NE with 322 energy (moderate). That’s another beautiful window.

Rolling into the first of September, the swell drops right off to 3 ft on Tuesday, 1st September, with weak energy (108). That’s a bit of a lull. The energy picks up gradually through Wednesday 2nd and Thursday 3rd, but the conditions are ordinary. The next real bright spot is Friday morning, 4th September – 4 ft, glassy, 8 seconds, energy 233 (moderate). Then Saturday morning, 5th September, is even better: 5 ft, glassy, 8 seconds, 239 energy (moderate). These are solid, clean, fun waves for a relaxed session. The pattern fades out from there with small, ordinary waves in the second week.

Best on offer: The clear winner is the Wednesday morning, 26th August, with 6 ft, glassy, and good energy. If you want a bit more size and are an experienced surfer, the Thursday 27th morning has the most power (530 energy) but it’s a big wave (7 ft) and the break might not handle it well for a relaxed paddle. For a safer bet, the Sunday afternoon, 30th August, with zero wind and glassy 5 ft waves, is a dream session.

Rusty.

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