Ferrugem Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it.

The next couple of weeks have a bit of a slow start, but there’s some serious size and quality lurking further out. We’re looking at a few days of smaller, trickier conditions before an all-around standout that’s worth circling on the calendar. After that, it’s a mixed bag of fading energy and messy winds.

Ferrugem (Rio de Janeiro) is our main spot here, a very consistent sandbar that’s got good exposure to the south and southeast. To kick things off on Tuesday the 18th, we’ve got a clean 6ft NE windswell pushing through with a light cross-offshore breeze. The energy is moderate (723). It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about.

Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th see the swell drop right off to under 3ft and the wind goes a bit cross-on or stays light. The energy is weak (158 down to 116). It’s pretty flat and junky, so I’d probably find something else to do. We then get a couple of poor days with shifting winds and weak, short-period swell (77 to 130) through Friday the 21st. Not great.

The weekend picks up some size. Saturday the 22nd sees a new, more southerly swell arrive, pushing to 7ft but the period is a short 9 seconds. The morning has that moderate energy (1120) but a cross-shore wind is going to chop it up. It’s a bit of a messy one. Sunday the 23rd keeps that 6ft of south swell, but the period extends slightly to 11 seconds. It’s cleaner in the morning, but still onshore, so it’s going to be pretty lumpy.

Now, here’s the standout.

Monday the 24th is the day. The swell jumps to a solid 8ft from the SSE with a very long 14-second period. The energy is strong (2102). And, the wind is forecast to be glassy in the morning. This is the clean, powerful groundswell you wait for. It’s going to be a serious session with real punch. That’s a lot of water moving, so it’s one for the experienced crew.

The rest of that week and into the next, we see that energy slowly fade. Tuesday the 25th still has some decent 6ft groundswell and a clean cross-offshore wind, but it’s a step down. We’re in the 1000s for energy. After that, it drops back to the 3ft range for a few days, with clean but weak conditions. It’s surfable and tidy, but the juice is gone.

The last few days of August and into the 1st of September look pretty poor. We get some rain, and the wind clocks around to the south and east, which is cross or cross-onshore for this break. There’s a pulse of ENE swell around the 31st, but the period is short and the winds are messy. The energy is moderate (1030), but the quality just isn’t there. By the 1st and 2nd of September, it’s back to small, short-period junk with moderate cross-shore winds. Not worth the paddle. There’s a bit of a flat spell here, so if you’re keen, you’ve got to be patient.

So, to sum it up: get out there early next week. The Monday the 24th is your best bet for real, powerful surf, with the Saturday and Sunday beforehand being a bit of a gamble. After that, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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