Lajinha Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, so, I’ve had a proper look at Lajinha for the next couple of weeks. To be straight with you, it’s a pretty grim run. This is a reef break, exposed to the east, and it’s rated for advanced surfers only. We’re looking at a long stretch of nothing much to get excited about. The water temp is sitting at about 80°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The trouble starts now and just keeps going. For the rest of July and right into the first week of August, the winds are mostly cross or cross-onshore, swinging from SE and SSE at 12 to 19 mph. This churns the surface up into a lumpy, choppy mess. The swell is hanging around the 2 ft to 5 ft mark, coming in from the ESE or E, with a short, weak period of 6 to 8 seconds. The combined energy is mostly in the weak to moderate range (73 to 263), but it’s all junk. The call is consistently “poor surf conditions,” and the scores back that up – there’s just nothing worth paddling out for.

Now, there is a slight, and I mean *slight*, glimmer on Monday the 27th of July in the morning. The wind swings to a light S at 9 mph, going cross-offshore, which finally cleans things up. You get a little 4 ft swell from the SE, but it’s on a tiny 6-second period. The wave comment is “marginal surf forecast,” scoring a 1 out of 10. The combined energy is a moderate 200. It’s a fleeting moment of clean-ish water, but the wave itself is weak and poorly shaped. Not a standout by any stretch.

Then we hit the 3rd and 4th of August. The swell bumps up a bit, hitting 6 ft on the Monday and Tuesday mornings, coming from the ESE with an 8-second period. The combined energy jumps up to 546 and 506 – that’s strong energy on offer. But again, the comment is only “marginal surf forecast” with a score of 1. The wind is a cross-shore SE at 16 mph, mixing it all up. For a reef break like this, that 6 ft of short-period, wind-affected swell is going to be a messy, bumpy wall. It’s too big for beginners, but the quality is so poor it’s not even that appealing for experts.

Honestly, through to the 8th of August, the pattern is the same: persistent onshore or cross winds, weak or poorly directed swell, and constant chop. There are no true standouts here. It’s a full-on blank run for quality surf. The setup at Lajinha with this constant wind and lumpy water might honestly look more interesting for a kite surfer than someone on a paddle board.

Look, it’s a tough outlook. A blank run like this is a bit of a downer, but the forecasts can change. For now, I’d save the wax for another day.

Rusty.

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