Ferrugem Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag on the cards for Ferrugem over the next couple of weeks. The first week or so is looking pretty average, but there’s a serious pulse of energy lining up for the second weekend that’s got my attention.

The forecast kicks off with a long gap of poor conditions. From Friday the 31st of July right through to the end of the first week of August, there’s just nothing doing. The swell is small, the wind is mostly cross or cross-off, and the surf quality is rated as poor. We’ve got a few windows where the wave energy is moderate, like the 3rd of August (Monday) morning, with a 4ft swell from the northeast, but the period is a short 8 seconds, so it’s not going to have much shape. The water temperature is sitting at 67°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no wetsuit drama there.

There’s a slight flicker of hope on the 6th of August (Thursday) morning, with glassy conditions and a 3ft easterly-northeasterly swell. The combined energy is moderate (293), and the wind is dead calm—glassy. That’s the kind of clean window you want to be on it, but it’s still pretty small and the quality is only described as “good,” not excellent.

The real standout, and I mean the one to circle on the calendar, is the 14th of August (Friday). Ferrugem is a sandbar setup, and it’s very consistent here. That morning, we’ve got a 10ft swell from the south with a period of 10 seconds—that’s groundswell, and it’s packing a combined energy of 2503. The wind is glassy, coming from the south-southwest at just 3 mph. This is clean, powerful, and for experienced surfers only because that 10ft is well over the 8ft mark. The afternoon holds at 8ft with a similar south-southeast direction, light glassy wind, and energy jumping to 2947. This is the best on offer, no question. The swell direction (south) matches the optimum swell direction from the southeast pretty closely, so it should wrap in nicely.

Now, the 15th of August (Saturday) sees a massive jump in size—12ft to 13ft from the south-southeast, with a very long period of 16 seconds. The combined energy is off the charts at 6770 to 12654. That’s a huge, powerful groundswell. But the wind is onshore and cross-onshore from the east-southeast, and the forecast notes that the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. For a sandbar, that much energy and a very long period will make it break straight and unruly, plus it’s only for experts. The wind won’t help. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The 13th of August (Thursday) also has a long-period pulse (16 seconds) from the south-southeast, with energy at 321, but the wind is cross and cross-on, making it marginal. Not worth chasing.

So, the long and short of it: we’ve got a long, quiet patch until the 14th of August. That Friday is the day. Go early for the 10ft glassy session. It’s a true standout. Be ready for crowds, because Ferrugem is often busy, and on a day like that, it’ll be packed. The 15th is just too big and messy for a paddle. Keep your eyes on the forecasts, but I’d be locking in the 14th.

Rusty.

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