Lajao (Baia dos Golfinhos) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Lajao (Baia dos Golfinhos). Let’s be straight with it – this is a tough run of forecasts. The finder is showing zero standout sessions across the whole 16-day window. That’s a long, flat-feeling stretch.

The wind is the main villain here. It’s hanging stubbornly from the east and southeast, which puts Lajao in a tough spot. The optimum direction for this reef is from the NE, and we’re getting the complete opposite. Even when the swell tries to build, the wind is a cross or cross-offshore breeze, which isn't cleaning it up enough to turn it on. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual to report.

We start with Wednesday the 16th. Small stuff, 3ft from the ESE, and a short period of 8 seconds. Combined energy is weak at 139, and the wind is a messy cross-off. It’s a no-go. This pattern just repeats. Thursday the 17th, same story: 4ft, period of 6 seconds, moderate breeze. Friday the 18th sees a little more juice, 5ft from the E, and the energy climbs to 228 (moderate), but the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-off. The waves will be there, but they’ll be gutless and hard to ride. Saturday the 19th is probably the best of a bad lot, with 5ft from the E, energy at 291, and a moderate breeze. Still, with that period stuck at 7 seconds and the wrong wind direction, it’s not going to be the Lajao we dream about.

There’s a long gap of nothing worth paddling out for. From the 20th through to the 25th, it’s all poor surf. On the 22nd, we get a marginal call with 4ft and energy at 210, but it’s still cross-off. The 23rd brings a longer period swell (12 seconds) but it’s tiny, only 2ft, and the wind is cross. That’s a tease. A long period groundswell with that little height and poor wind is just frustration.

From the 25th onward into early October, the swell direction shifts to the ENE, which is slightly better, but the size drops back below 4ft, and the period is back down to 6 seconds. The wind stays cross or cross-on. The energy readings hover between 100 and 200, weak to low-moderate. The last entry on October 1st shows 3ft, ENE, with a 6-second period and a moderate cross breeze. It’s the same old song.

If I had to highlight one period, Saturday the 19th is your best chance to get wet, but don't expect it to be good. It’s a session for the die-hards who just need to be in the water. For the rest of the window, you might as well save your wax. This area tends to have blanks like this when the trade winds lock in from the wrong angle. It won’t stay poor forever, but this forecast is a solid write-off for the foreseeable future.

Rusty.

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