Busca Vida Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on the cards for Busca Vida over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – this stretch looks like a tough slog for surfers.

Right from the get-go on Thursday the 20th of August, we’ve got a 4ft ESE swell, but it’s coming in with a short period of 8 seconds and the wind is straight onshore from the ESE at 9 mph. The water’s sitting at a pretty normal 79°, no warmer or cooler than you’d expect. But honestly, the conditions are just messy. The combined wave energy is moderate (227), but with that wind shoving the face flat, this is a kite-surfing breeze, not a good paddle session.

Friday the 21st through to the end of the month is pretty grim. Swells hang around the 3ft to 5ft range, mostly from the ESE or E, but periods stay short, between 7 and 8 seconds. The wind is relentless, either cross-onshore light breezes or choppy moderate breezes – nothing that cleans it up. The combined energy values bounce between weak (80) and moderate (334), but the official word is “poor surf conditions” every single day. There’s no standout morning glass-off or proper groundswell to get excited about. This is a period where you’re better off leaving the boards in the car.

Now, if you’re hoping for a miracle, late in the window we see a shift. On Wednesday the 26th of August, we get a sneaky pulse of S swell at 2ft but with a period of 15 seconds – proper long-period groundswell. The combined energy jumps up to 319 (moderate) and the wind is a light cross-onshore at 6 mph. It’s still far from perfect, but that 15-second period tells me there’s some real push and shape underneath. By Thursday the 27th, the period stretches to 16 seconds, with the combined energy hitting 504 (strong), but the swell’s still tiny at 3ft and the wind is messy.

Friday the 28th of August delivers the best shot of the entire forecast. The S swell holds at 3ft with a 14-second period, and the combined energy is a solid 530 (strong). Wind is light onshore from the E at 6 mph – not glassy, but light enough that it won’t chop it to bits. At this reef break, a longer-period S swell is exactly what you want, and with those energy numbers, the sets will have some grunt. If I had to pick a window, this Friday morning is the one to pencil in.

After that, it fades back into onshore wind and short-period slop through the first week of September. Swells sit at 4ft to 5ft from the E, periods drop back to 7 or 8 seconds, and it’s just more of the same cross-onshore junk.

Honestly, for the next 16 days, there is only one true standout, and that’s the Friday the 28th of August morning at Busca Vida. Everything else is a write-off unless you’re keen on a kite session. This is one of those stretches where the ocean’s not playing ball, so keep your eye on that Friday morning S swell pulse – it’s your best hope.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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