Lajao (Baia dos Golfinhos) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, giving you the straight-up word on Lajao (Baia dos Golfinhos). No other spots in this forecast, so let’s break down what we’ve got coming at you over the next couple of weeks.

First off, let’s be honest, the water’s sitting at a warm 81°F – absolutely beautiful, about average for this time of year, so the only thing you’ll need to worry about is the waves, not the temps.

The outlook is a bit of a slow burn. There’s a rough patch right through the start, with Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st offering up pretty weak and messy energy. We’re looking at ankle-to-knee high stuff (1ft to 3ft) with a short period, and cross-offshore wind that’s keeping it clean but there’s just no power – the combined energy is down in the 80s. It’s a paddling-around day, not a surfing day. Saturday the 1st of August sees the swell push up to 6ft from the ESE, and the energy jumps into the moderate range (341), but that wind stays strong at 19 mph and cross-offshore, which is just going to make it lumpy and hard to manage.

We hit a grey area from Monday the 3rd of August through to Tuesday the 11th. The swell sticks between 4ft and 6ft, with the combined energy bouncing around from moderate to strong (check those values in the 300s and 400s and even hitting 710 on the 4th). The issue is the wind never truly cleans up – it’s cross-offshore or cross-shore the whole time, with some rain and thunderstorms mixed in. The waves will have some push, especially on Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th with that bigger 6ft to 6ft ESE swell, but it’s a real battle against the chop. Honestly, with those winds and that size, for most of this period the setup at a reef break like this is looking more interesting for a kite session than a clean paddle surf. The data calls it “marginal” and I’d agree – it’s a score-it-if-you’re-desperate kind of window.

The best chance for something decent is the very end of the forecast. Around Wednesday the 12th of August, we get a 5ft swell from the east with a longer period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is strong (363), and the wind is a steady cross-offshore at 16 mph, which will keep the face clean. The swell direction of E is a fair match for the reef’s optimum NE direction, so it’ll wrap in with some shape. That Thursday the 13th also has a similar-sized swell with a longer 10-second period (energy of 268), which will give you longer lulls between sets and a bit more push on the wave face. Water’s warm, the wind is manageable – this is the highlight of the whole outlook. If you have to pick a day, that Wednesday the 12th into Thursday the 13th is your window. It’s still not a world-beater, but it’s the cleanest, punchiest surf on offer. The spot is very consistent and exposed to swell, but expect a few other heads out as it’s a known spot.

To sum it up: a long stretch of poor and marginal conditions, with one slightly better shot mid-month. Bring a lot of patience or a kite foil for the first ten days.

- Rusty

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