Lajao (Baia dos Golfinhos) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Lajao (Baia dos Golfinhos) over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough stretch. We’ve got a long, dry spell coming. The first decent surfable window doesn’t show up until the morning of Saturday, 1st August. From now until then, we’re looking at a whole lot of nothing. The wind is stuck in a cross-off pattern from the SE, which is fine for keeping the surface clean, but the swell is small, weak, and short-period. The combined energy barely hits triple digits most days, lingering around 100-200 (moderate wave energy range) but with no real punch. It’s just not making the grade. The water temperature is sitting at a warm 81°, and the anomaly is a tiny +0.5°, so it’s bang on average for this time of year – no surprises there.

The first real chance to get wet comes on the morning of Saturday, 1st August. We see a jump in the swell to 6 ft from the SE, with a period of 7 seconds. It’s a short-period windswell, so don’t expect any long lines, but the combined energy jumps to 538 (moderate wave energy), which is the strongest we’ve seen. The wind is a cross-off SE breeze at 16 mph, so the surface will be clean. It’s still rated as marginal, but if you’re itching for a paddle, that’s your window. This swell is just over 5 ft, so it’s getting a bit punchy for the absolute beginners, but still manageable for most.

The morning of Sunday, 2nd August, offers a similar story – 5 ft from the ESE at 8 seconds, with cross-off wind and clean conditions. The energy is up at 441 (moderate wave energy). Again, it’s marginal, but it’s the best we’ve got.

Looking further ahead to the morning of Tuesday, 4th August, we see the biggest swell of the whole period: 6 ft from the ESE, stepping up to 7 ft in the afternoon. The period is still short at 8 seconds, and the combined energy hits 646 and then 817 (moderate to strong wave energy). That’s a proper push, but at 7 ft with short period, it’ll be a bit of a close-out mess. The wind is cross-off SE at 16 mph, keeping it clean, but the size is firmly in the "experts only" zone. This is the standout for size, but not for quality.

Honestly, the standout for the best chance of a decent wave is Saturday morning, 1st August. It’s the first real pulse, the conditions are clean, and the energy is there. It’s not perfect, but it’s the pick of a poor bunch. The rest of the time, it’s small, weak, and not worth the drive. The optimum swell direction for this spot is NE, and we’re getting nothing but ESE and SE, so the swell is wrapping in at a bad angle. That’s a big part of the problem.

With the short-period, small swell and persistent cross-off wind, this setup honestly looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer for the majority of this forecast. The conditions are clean, but the waves just aren't there for us.

Rusty.

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