Picao (Baia Formosa) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve been staring at the charts for Picao (Baia Formosa) and I gotta be straight with you – it’s a pretty bleak run for the next couple of weeks. The water temp is sitting at 81°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so at least that’s one thing that’s not giving us grief. But the surf? Mate, it’s a struggle.

The pattern we’re seeing is a lot of weak, short-period windswell from the east and southeast, with periods hanging around a measly 7 seconds. That’s barely enough to get a proper wave face. The combined energy is all over the shop, from a weak 97 to a moderate 588 on Tuesday the 4th, but the wind and conditions just keep letting us down. Most of the time it’s cross-shore or cross-offshore, and while the morning of the 5th of August pops up with a “marginal” nod for a 5ft swell from the ESE (combined energy 437), the 16 mph SE wind means it’ll be a battle. It’s really not worth paddling out for that.

We’ve got a massive gap here. The first real, proper recommendation doesn’t come until Monday the 10th of August. That’s a full week of poor surf and “surfable but very ordinary conditions” on the 5th being the only glimmer. From the 2nd right through to the 9th, it’s pretty much all poor.

Monday the 10th morning is the only day that gets a score above zero, and it’s still a 1/10. We’ve got a 3ft swell from the east with a 7-second period, combined energy of 170, and the wind is a gentle 9 mph from the southeast, making it clean. It’s surfable, but it’s small, weak, and ordinary. After that, it’s back to poor conditions and cross-shore junk for the rest of the 16-day run. The 15th and 16th of August show a bit more size, around 5ft, but it’s all cross-offshore wind and still poor.

Honestly, the best on offer – and I say this with a heavy heart – is that Monday the 10th of August morning. It’s the only time the wind is light enough to give you a clean surface on a tiny wave. It’s not a standout by any stretch, just the least bad option. For a reef break that’s consistent and sometimes crowded, it’s a real shame the swell direction (E to ESE) isn’t matching the optimum (NE) at all, so the waves aren’t wrapping in well.

If you’re a beginner, this 3ft to 5ft stuff is fine size-wise, but the quality just isn’t there. This is one of those blank runs for the area – it happens. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d be finding something else to do for a while.

Rusty.

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