Busca Vida Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve got the goods on Busca Vida for the next couple of weeks. Let’s be straight with each other—this stretch is looking pretty grim. The data tells me we’re in for a long, quiet run with almost no surf worth paddling out for. There’s a small window right at the end that shows a bit of promise, but it’s a long way off and nothing to get excited about yet.

For the first week, from Thursday 6th August through to Thursday 13th August, it’s all small, weak, and choppy. Swell heights are hanging around 3 ft to 5 ft, but the period is short—just 7 to 8 seconds—so there’s no push or shape. The combined swell energy is weak to moderate, ranging from 131 to 375, but that energy is all wind-slop and won’t give you a proper wave. Winds are mostly cross-onshore from the ENE to SE, blowing 9 to 12 mph, making conditions messy and bumpy. The water temp is 79°, which is pretty average for this time of year. Honestly, it’s a kite-surfing setup more than a paddle-surfing one—strong wind and poor surf quality.

Then from Friday 14th August through to Thursday 20th August, things stay marginal at best. There are a couple of sessions—like Saturday 15th afternoon and Sunday 16th morning—where the swell period jumps to 13–15 seconds, which is a proper long-period groundswell, but the swell heights are only 3 ft to 4 ft, and the combined energy climbs to 576–740. That’s moderate to strong energy, but the direction is from the SSE to S, which is not ideal for this exposed reef—it wants swell from the S, but the guidance says the optimum direction is S, so that’s a match. The problem is the wind: it’s mostly onshore or cross-onshore from the E or SE, gusting up to 12 mph, which ruins any chance of clean surf. The period is long, which tends to make beach breaks close out, but Busca Vida is a reef, so it might handle that better—still, it’s not worth the paddle. These are marginal, not good.

The standout, if you can call it that, is the last few days—from Wednesday 19th August morning, with 6 ft from the SE at 9 seconds, and Thursday 20th morning with 6 ft from the SE at 8 seconds. The combined energy is strong, at 678 and 564, and the swell direction is closer to optimum S. But the wind is still cross-onshore or onshore from the E to ESE at 9–12 mph, which keeps it choppy and messy. For experienced surfers, there might be a few grunty, onshore lumps to chase, but it’s not clean. Beginners should steer clear—this is too big and messy.

Overall, this is a blank run. Busca Vida is a fairly consistent reef, so a poor run like this is normal for the area, and forecasts can change, but right now, I wouldn’t wax up. The best bet is late in the period, but it’s a long shot. Keep an eye on it, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty

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