Picao (Baia Formosa) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and I’m calling it as it is. The outlook for Picao break, at Baia Formosa, is a total washout for the next sixteen days. The surf finder didn’t throw up a single good option, so I’m just going to tell you what we’re dealing with.

The water’s at 81°F, which is normal for this time of year, so at least that’s comfortable.

But from Tuesday the 18th of August all the way through Wednesday the 2nd of September, every single session is marked as “poor surf conditions.” The swell is small and weak, mostly 3ft to 5ft, with a pathetic short period of 6 to 8 seconds. That’s nothing but windswill. The combined energy readings are mostly in the low to mid hundreds—like 187 on Tuesday morning, 228 on Thursday morning—which is weak to moderate energy, and it’s all coming from the ESE or E. This reef needs a good NE swell to really work, and it’s not getting it.

The wind is the real problem. It’s almost always a cross-off or cross-shore breeze from the SE or ESE, blowing anywhere from 12 to 22 mph. On a lot of days it’s a fresh breeze. While that keeps the surface clean, it’s doing nothing to make this weak, short-period swell any better. The surf just never gets any quality.

This is a spot that breaks consistently, but it’s not happening this time. We’re looking at a solid two-week gap from the 18th of August to the 2nd of September with zero recommendations. For this area, when the wind and swell don’t gel, a dry spell like this isn’t that unusual.

If you’re really itching, the afternoons of the 18th, 19th, 23rd, and 24th of August look the cleanest, but the swell is still tiny and weak. The biggest energy shows up on the 2nd of September, with readings of 249 and 255, and swell heights hitting 5ft, but the period is still a short 7 seconds and the wind is a cross-off. Still poor.

There’s nothing here worth paddling out for. The forecast can always change, but right now, don’t bother.

Rusty.

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