Jacaraipe Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it—this forecast for Jacaraipe is a real mixed bag, and for the most part, it’s pretty grim. We’ve got a solid 16-day window, but the first week and a half is mostly just chop and junk. The story here is patience; you’ve gotta wait it out for a couple of truly special windows.

The pattern is dominated by messy, short-period wind swell for days. The water temp is sitting at 73°F, which is about average for this time of year, so at least you won’t be freezing while you stare at the lumpy stuff.

Here’s how it shakes out: Wednesday the 2nd through Tuesday the 10th is basically a write-off. Wave heights bob around from 3ft to 6ft, but it’s all short-period stuff (mostly 7 to 8 seconds) and the wind is almost always cross or cross-onshore. The combined swell energy is weak to moderate (some readings like 414 and 657), but with that wind, it’s just a messy cross-chop. Thursday the 3rd morning offers a glimmer with 3ft from the SSE at 12 seconds, a longer period, but it’s cross-onshore with only a light breeze, leaving it marginal. The energy there is moderate at 418.

The real standouts? You have to look all the way to Tuesday, September 15th and Wednesday, September 16th. This is where it gets good.

Tuesday morning the 15th is a gem. We’ve got 6ft of swell coming from the NE, period 7 seconds (so short, but punchy). The wind is glassy—dead calm from the WNW at 3 mph. That’s clean, clean surf. The combined swell energy is strong at 765 and the outlook says “expect very good surf conditions.” For a sandbar like Jacaraipe (Brazil), that’s a session.

Wednesday morning the 16th is the pick of the entire run. 6ft from the NE, period 8 seconds, and a total flat calm— 0 mph from the SSW, glassy as glass. The energy is very strong at 806, and again, it’s flagged as “very good surf conditions.” This is the one to circle. The swell direction (NE) is a little off the optimum E direction for this exposed break, but with that glassy wind and solid size, it’ll be offering up some peeler rights if the sandbar is in.

After that, we’ve got a few marginal mornings on the 17th and 18th with clean, cross-off winds and 5ft to 7ft from the ENE, but the energy tails off a bit. It’s worth a look, but don’t expect the magic of the 15th and 16th.

Crowds at Jacaraipe can be “sometimes” an issue, but on those standout mornings, especially mid-week, you might have it a bit more to yourself. The surf is solid 6ft, which is a good size for a sandbar and fine for intermediates. It’s not a beginner wave at that height—too much push for learners.

To sum it up: suffer through the doldrums from the 2nd to the 10th, then keep your eyes on Tuesday the 15th and Wednesday the 16th. Those are the only real standouts in an otherwise flat and choppy 16 days.

Rusty.

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