Picao (Baia Formosa) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let's have a look at what's on the cards for our little slice of Brazil. To be honest, it's a tough stretch. I'm looking at Picao (Baia Formosa) and for the next 16 days, there's just not much to get excited about. The swell is coming in from the east and east-southeast most of the time, but the wind is a constant problem. It's mostly a cross-off or cross-shore breeze, sometimes up to 19 mph, which just messes with the face of the wave. It’s clean, but it’s not the good kind of clean.

The water temp is sitting at 80°F, which is about average for the time of year, so that’s one comfort at least.

For this Saturday the 22nd, the swell is a meagre 3 ft from the east with a short, weak period of 7 seconds. The combined energy is a low 169 – there's just no power behind it. The wind is a cross-off at 9 to 12 mph, so while it might look clean, the waves are just poor. It’s not worth paddling out for.

Sunday the 23rd is much the same story. The swell bumps up just a touch to 3 ft to 4 ft, but the period drops to a disappointing 6 seconds, and the energy is even weaker at 78 to 103. The wind picks up to 16 mph, still cross-off. Still poor.

Monday the 24th sees the swell hit 5 ft, but the period stays short at 7 seconds. The energy jumps to a moderate 242 to 260, but the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-off. That will just be a bumpy, blown-out mess. Not for me.

The pattern just keeps repeating itself all the way through the end of August and into the first week of September. We get some periods where the swell is 4 ft to 5 ft, and the energy gets up into the 200s, even a 438 reading on the morning of Wednesday the 26th, but the wind is always there. From the 28th of August through to the 3rd of September, the wind is a straight cross-shore, creating a cross-chop that will be horrible.

It’s not until Thursday the 5th of September that the wind finally turns back to a cross-off, but by then the swell has dropped back to a weak 4 ft from the east with a period of 8 seconds and energy down to 152.

Honestly, the whole 16-day window is a write-off for a decent surf. The wind is the killer. With the swell being so gutless and the wind constantly onshore or cross-shore, Picao is going to be a frustrating place to be. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. It’s a consistent break, but that doesn’t help when the conditions are this poor. Keep the board in the car and wait for a better forecast. This run of poor conditions is not unusual for the area, so don’t lose hope.

Rusty.

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