Buritaca Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, it's Rusty. Let's talk about what's coming up for Buritaca.

We've got a run of solid NE swell on the way, but it's a bit of a tricky situation. The problem is that for several days, the swell is just too big for this river/point set-up. This spot loves a bit of NE groundswell, and it's very consistent, but when the waves get over 7 feet, it becomes a handful, especially for the beginners this place is known for.

Alright, let's get into it. The first bit of action we see kicks off Monday, the 10th of August, but it's nothing to get excited about. You've got a 5-foot NE swell with a short 8-second period, and a cross-on breeze from the ENE. The water is a warm 82°, which is pretty much average for this time of year. The combined energy is weak at 244, and it's looking marginal. Not worth paddling out for.

Tuesday the 11th sees the swell jump. Morning brings 7-foot NE at 9 seconds, and afternoon pushes it to 8 feet. The combined energy is moderate (625 and 822), and the wind is a light cross-on. The forecast says it's just too big for the break. If you're an expert and you know the river mouth, maybe, but for most, it's a miss.

Wednesday and Thursday are much the same story – surf in the 5 to 6-foot range, but the quality is marginal with cross-onshore winds. The combined energy stays low, between 247 and 383. Not worth rushing for.

Now, Friday the 14th and into Saturday the 15th is where it gets really interesting, but again, it's a caveat. Friday has 7 to 8-foot NE swell, and Saturday morning hits 8-foot NE with a very long 10-second period. The combined energy jumps to strong levels: 631 on Friday, and a very impressive 1202 on Saturday morning, peaking at 1275 on Saturday afternoon. The wind on Saturday afternoon turns glassy – dead calm. This would be incredible if it wasn't so big. For an expert crew, that Saturday afternoon glass-off with a powerful 8-foot, 10-second NE groundswell is as good as it gets here. But for the regular surfer, it's just too much. The river mouth will be a washing machine.

Sunday the 16th backs off a touch to 7 feet, but it's still big, and the wind is cross-shore. Still a big-wave day only.

Then we hit a quiet spell. From Monday the 17th through to Thursday the 21st, the swell drops. We're looking at waves from 4 to 5 feet, with short periods of 7 to 8 seconds, and light winds. The combined energy is weak, mostly under 300. A couple of glassy mornings on the 18th and 22nd offer clean conditions, but the waves are small and weak. There's a day on the 21st that's just poor.

Things start to look a bit more promising on Saturday the 22nd of August. We get a clean, glassy morning with a 5-foot NE swell, and the afternoon picks up to 6 feet, still glassy. The combined energy is moderate at 257 and 403. This is the pick of the second week. It's small, but clean, and that NE direction is exactly what this point wants. The crowds can be around sometimes, but on a morning like that, you'll get your share.

Sunday the 23rd afternoon sees the swell jump again to 7 feet, and the forecast says it's too big once more. Monday the 24th morning is glassy with a nice 6 feet, but it's a weekday, so the crowd factor might be lower.

So, if I'm calling it, the absolute standout for the whole forecast is the Saturday the 15th of August afternoon. It's an expert-only session with a glassy 8-foot NE groundswell packing serious energy (1275). For everyone else, the best bet is the small but clean windows on Saturday the 22nd of August, with that 6-foot NE swell and glassy conditions. Keep an eye on the 24th too – that morning glass-off with 6 feet could be a sneaky good one.

Rusty.

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