Ilha Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

The next couple of weeks look pretty quiet around Ilha. There’s some small swell coming through, but it’s mostly very ordinary, with a lot of poor conditions and cross-onshore winds messing things up. The first few days have tiny waves and mixed wind, but there are a few windows where the morning glass-off might give you something rideable. The water temp is sitting at 69°F, which is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

Let’s start with Monday, 27 July. The morning is the pick of a very average day – we’ve got a 2ft SE swell at 8 seconds, with glassy conditions from a light NE breeze. The combined swell energy is weak at 145, so it’s small and pretty weak, but it’s clean. Don’t expect much power. That afternoon the wind shifts east and it gets cross-onshore, turning it into a bit of a mess.

Tuesday, 28 July, the morning is glassy again with a 2ft SE swell, but the energy drops to 77. It’s surfable if you’re desperate, but it’s tiny. The afternoon gets cross-onshore again and choppy. Wednesday, 29 July, we get a nice offshore wind from the north in the morning, with a 1ft SSE swell that’s long period at 12 seconds. The clean conditions are a positive, but the wave height is so small it’s barely worth paddling out for.

Thursday, 30 July, and Friday, 31 July, are pretty grim – cross-shore winds, light rain, and tiny swell. Friday morning is glassy but only 1.0ft of SSE swell, so not much to work with. Saturday, 1 August, the morning is glassy again with a 3ft ESE swell, but the period is only 6 seconds – short and weak. The energy is 96, still weak. It’s a tiny slop, but clean.

The standout in this whole period is actually the morning of Wednesday, 5 August. We get a 2ft S swell with a 12-second period, and the conditions are glassy – calm wind, clean. The combined energy hits 133, which is still moderate but the best we’ve seen. The long period should give a bit of shape, but at this size it’s going to be gentle. It’s the best chance for a few clean, fun waves.

The following week into early August is mostly small and messy. The morning of 6 August has a 3ft SSE swell with clean cross-off winds, energy at 162, but it’s still small. The morning of 7 August is glassy with a 3ft SSE swell, energy 124 – again clean but weak. The afternoon of 9 August sees a 5ft S swell roll in, but it’s onshore wind and the period is only 7 seconds, so it’s going to be a lumpy, choppy mess. That’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session.

Overall, nothing fires up. The best bet is to hit the early mornings when it’s glassy, especially on 5 August for that slightly longer period S swell. Keep your expectations low – it’s a lean run.

Rusty

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