Ponta Do Rapa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Ponta Do Rapa. This reef setup is a rare one—it doesn’t break often, so when it does, you pay attention. The whole 16-day window is a mixed bag, with a lot of windy, choppy days and only a few windows where things come together. Hang tight, because the best is a long way off.

The first real action we see kicks off on Saturday, August 8th with a morning session. Swell is 5ft from the south, but the period is a long 14 seconds—classic groundswell. The wind is cross-shore, not ideal, and the forecast is marginal. Not a standout. Sunday the 9th gets a bit bigger, with 7ft south swell, but the period drops to 8 seconds, making for a short, choppy feel. The wind is cross-off, but the energy is weak (583). It’s not great.

Things start to look up on Monday, August 10th. The swell holds at 7ft from the south, but the period jumps to 13 seconds, and the combined energy is strong (1434). The wind is cross-off, keeping it clean. This is a solid, powerful south swell, but those long-period south swells tend to run a bit straight on a reef break like this. Still, it’s the best of the early week.

Tuesday, August 11th and Wednesday, August 12th are where it gets interesting. On Tuesday, the swell drops to 5ft, but the period is 12 seconds, and the wind is light and cross-off. The energy is moderate (787). The forecast says “very good surf conditions.” Wednesday morning is the real gem: 6ft south-southeast swell, 12-second period, and glassy wind. The energy is solid (843). This is a standout moment—clean, glassy, and long-period groundswell. For a reef break that rarely breaks, this is a session to circle.

After that, the swell fades. Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th have some clean waves but smaller, around 4ft to 5ft. The wind is either cross-on or light offshore, so it’s rideable but not pumping. The energy drops off (610 to 541).

Then we hit a gap. From Saturday, August 15th through to Tuesday, August 19th, the surf is messy—small, short-period, and often onshore or cross-shore. There are a few clean moments, but the swell is weak and inconsistent. This is a dead run for nearly five days.

Hold onto your board, because the real standout is Thursday, August 20th. The morning is glassy, with a 8ft south swell, 12-second period, and massive energy (1596). This is expert territory—over 8ft, so only for the experienced. The wind is dead calm, glassy. This is the best surf of the entire outlook: powerful, long-period groundswell, clean as a whistle. The afternoon gets bigger at 10ft, but the wind turns cross-shore, making it less perfect.

The final days, August 21st and 22nd, see the swell drop and the wind swing onshore or cross-shore, with poor conditions. The energy is still there (1190) but the wind ruins it.

The water temperature is 66°F, which is about normal for this time of year (anomaly of 0.3°F). So, no wetsuit worries.

So, to sum it up: the best windows are Tuesday morning, August 11th, and Wednesday morning, August 12th, for cleaner, medium-sized waves. But the absolute standout is Thursday, August 20th morning—glassy, big, powerful south swell. Mark it. The rest is a waiting game.

Rusty.

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