Meia Praia Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s happening for the Meia-Praia stretch.

It’s a tough start, with a long stretch of flat, clean but totally unsurfable conditions running from now through the end of August and into the first week of September. The water’s sitting at 68°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a good spring suit if you’re even thinking about a paddle – but there’s nothing to paddle for.

That gap runs all the way until the morning of Thursday, September 3rd, when we finally see a tiny pulse of swell – 2ft from the SE, but it’s weak, short-period windswell at 7 seconds, and the wind is cross-onshore. Not worth getting wet for. That afternoon, the swell bumps to 4ft from the ESE, with a combined energy of 255 (moderate), but it’s onshore and messy – the wave comment says it all, poor surf conditions.

Friday, September 4th morning is still weak, 3ft from the ESE, cross-onshore, but that afternoon goes glassy with 3ft. The swell is still short-period (7 seconds) and the energy is only 57, so small and weak, but at least it’s clean. If you’re desperate for a longboard session, that’s your window.

Saturday, September 5th morning is the first real glimmer: 3ft from the ESE, glassy wind, and the wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” The combined energy is 83 – still weak. It’s the best of a bad lot, but that’s not saying much. The break is inconsistent here, and with the swell direction from the SSE as the optimum, this ESE swell is not really what it wants.

Then we drop right back into flatness for most of the following week. The next real standout comes on Saturday, September 12th. The morning sees a solid 6ft from the ESE, with a period of 9 seconds and a combined energy of 881 (strong). The wind is light cross-off from the N, keeping things clean. The wave comment says “expect very good surf conditions.” That’s our pick – the stand-out of the whole 16-day window. It’s bigger than 5ft, so it’s not for beginners, and a 6ft wave at a beach break with a 9-second period should offer some punchy, fun lines. That afternoon, it drops to 5ft with moderate offshore NW wind, still clean but the energy is down to 326. Still, the morning is the one to aim for.

So, to sum it up: a long flat spell, one barely surfable day on the 5th, and then a proper session shaping up for the morning of Saturday, September 12th. That’s your best bet. The rest of the 16 days is a write-off for surfing at Meia-Praia.

Rusty.

Read more