Picao (Baia Formosa) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Mate, it’s gonna be a tough stretch for waves around here. The pickings are slim. We’ve got a 16-day window but honestly, there’s no good surf in the first few days and only a few mornings that are worth a look. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The only spot showing any pulse at all is Picao (Baia Formosa) – a reef break that’s fairly exposed to swell and works best when the swell comes from the NE. It’s consistent, but the crowds are sometimes a factor. The problem is, the swell we’re seeing is coming from the ESE and E, which is not its optimum direction, so the waves are gonna be weak and short-period.

Tuesday morning (August 4th) might be the closest thing to a highlight. We’ve got a 6ft swell from the ESE, period 8 seconds, and the energy is moderate at 570. The wind is SSE at 9 mph, which is a clean cross-off, so the surf will be reasonably clean. But it’s marginal at best – a short-period swell on a reef can be a bit wonky. Still, it’s the best of a bad lot.

After that, it’s a long stretch of poor surf. The wind goes onshore or cross-shore, the swell drops to 3ft to 4ft, and the energy is weak to moderate (as low as 94). The waves are short-period (5 to 8 seconds) and the conditions are choppy. There’s a gap of several days where nothing is worth paddling out for.

Monday morning (August 10th) sees a 5ft swell from the SE, period 8 seconds, with wind from the SE at 12 mph giving a clean cross-off. Energy is moderate (360). It’s still marginal – a short-period swell on a reef isn’t ideal, but if you’re desperate, it’s a window.

Tuesday morning (August 11th) has a similar setup: 6ft from the ESE, period 8 seconds, energy 536, and a clean cross-off wind from the SSE at 12 mph. Again, marginal but clean.

Beyond that, the surf stays poor right through to the end of the 16-day forecast. The swell direction is all wrong for Picao, the periods are short, and the wind is often messy. The only positive is that on a few mornings the wind is cross-off and the cleanup is good, but the waves just aren’t there. For a reef break, short-period, weak swells from the wrong angle mean the waves are going to be small and sluggish.

Honestly, mate, this is a lean period. The best bet is to keep an eye on Tuesday morning (August 4th) and maybe those two Monday and Tuesday mornings in the second week, but don’t expect much. If you’re a beginner, the swell is small enough, but the quality is poor. If you’re an expert, there’s nothing to get excited about.

Rusty

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