Ponta Do Rapa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s talk about the waves coming our way.

We’ve got a slow start, but there’s a real pulse of energy building for a couple of days that looks like the main event. The water temp is sitting at 67°, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year—nothing out of the ordinary.

The standout session is Monday afternoon, the 24th of August at Ponta Do Rapa. The swell is pumping in at 7ft from the SSE, with a very long period of 14 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, and the combined energy is a solid 1844, so there’s serious power in the water. The wind is light and cross-off from the east, keeping things clean. This is for experienced surfers only at that size—it’s going to be a big, powerful beast. The long period means it’ll be a bit more forgiving on the paddle out, with longer lulls between sets, but the wave shape should be excellent.

Before that, we have a warm-up on Sunday afternoon, the 23rd of August. The swell is 6ft from the south, with a 12-second period, and the wind is offshore from the SE at 12 mph. That’s a clean, moderate offshore blow, and the energy is up at 904. It’s a nice introduction to the pulse.

Monday morning, the 24th is a tricky one. The swell is 6ft from the south with a 13-second period, giving a massive energy of 1773, but it’s a light cross-shore wind. It’ll be a bit bumpy, but the power is there.

After Monday, it drops off. Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th have some size, but the winds are cross-on or cross, making it messy. The swell direction shifts to the SSE, and the period stays long, but the conditions aren’t dialed in.

Then we hit a dry spell. From Thursday the 27th of August through to Saturday the 30th, the swell drops and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-shore, leading to poor to marginal surf. It’s a bit of a lull.

There’s a small window of glassy, clean conditions on Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th, with ENE swell at 5ft to 5ft and a 9-second period. It’s small, but it’ll be clean, and the energy is still moderate (361 to 358). Not a standout, but a fun sneaky session.

After that, the forecast gets messy again. From the 1st of September onward, the wind turns onshore and ramps up, with fresh to strong breezes and lumpy, choppy conditions. The swell gets mixed up with short period energy, and it’s just not worth paddling out for. The last week of the outlook is a write-off, with waves too small or too blown out to bother.

So, bottom line: if you’re an experienced surfer, lock in your Monday afternoon on the 24th. That’s the one. And don’t forget, Ponta Do Rapa is a rare one that doesn’t light up often, so when it does, you get on it.

Rusty.

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