Lajao (Baia dos Golfinhos) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way for Lajao (Baia dos Golfinhos). I gotta be straight with you from the get-go: this 16-day window is a tough one for surfers. The swell is there, but it's just not coming together with the right wind to make it worth paddling out. We’re looking at a long stretch of frustrating conditions, so let’s break it down.

We start off the forecast period on Tuesday, 1st September, and it’s not a pretty picture. Wave heights are around 4ft to 5ft from the east, but with a cross-shore breeze blowing at 12 mph, the surface is a mess. The water temperature is sitting at 81°F with about 1°F anomaly, so it’s pretty average for the time of year. The combined swell energy is weak at 249, telling you there’s not much push behind it. Through the morning, it’s a poor surf conditions call, and the afternoon is only marginal due to tide issues. We’re already in a gap with no real recommendations.

The pattern continues for days. Wednesday the 2nd kicks up a bit more energy – 5ft from the ESE with combined energy hitting 685 in the morning, which is moderate energy. But that ESE wind at 12 mph is still cross-shore, making it bumpy. The whole first week, from Thursday the 3rd all the way through Monday the 7th, we’re stuck with tiny waves, all under 4ft, with periods as short as 7 seconds, and those cross-shore winds just won’t let up. Combined energy levels drop to between 125 and 224, which is weak. This is a real blank run.

Moving into the second week, the pattern shifts slightly but doesn’t get any better for us. From Tuesday the 8th to Thursday the 10th, we see winds turning more cross-offshore at times, which cleans the surface up, but the wave heights are still puny at 4ft to 6ft, and the periods are short – 6 or 7 seconds. The combined energy on the 10th does get up to 314, still moderate. But the wave comment still says “poor surf conditions”. Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th offer the biggest swell of the period: 6ft from the ESE with 8-second periods. Combined energy climbs to 411 and 395, which is moderate. But it’s still cross-shore wind, making it bumpy and messy. This is bigger swell, but for a beginner-friendly reef break like Lajao, anything over 5ft is already getting too much for beginners, and the chop makes it unpleasant for everyone.

The final stretch from Sunday the 13th to Wednesday the 16th sees the swell fade back to 3ft to 5ft with mostly cross-offshore winds, which at least keeps the surface clean. But the energy is low, periods are short, and the wave comment keeps saying “poor surf conditions” or “marginal.” There’s nothing here that stands out as a good session.

If I’m honest, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, given the consistent cross-shore breeze and those moderate energy days. For the surfer, it’s a long gap of poor quality. The Lajao reef is inconsistent with the conditions we need, and we’re just not getting the right wind direction to unlock the potential from that east swell. It’s a tough outlook, but that’s the hand we’ve been dealt.

Rusty.

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