Ponta Negra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, gang, Rusty here. Let’s be straight: this 16-day window for Ponta Negra is a real bummer. We’ve got a solid 6ft of swell from the SE pushing in from Sunday the 19th, but that’s where the good news ends. The wind is about as uncooperative as it gets, blowing cross or cross-onshore at 19 to 25 mph, and that’s just tearing the surface to bits. The water temp is sitting right around average for the time of year, so nothing weird there.

The first few days, from Sunday the 19th through Wednesday the 23rd, are a write-off. That 6ft to 5ft swell is there, but it’s a short-period, 8-second wind swell that’s just getting chopped up. The combined energy (483) is moderate, but it’s all messy. The wind is a fresh breeze, and the surf is “poor.” You’d be fighting a losing battle.

Thursday the 23rd morning offers a tiny glimmer – the wind drops to a gentle breeze at 9 mph, and the swell is still around 6ft, but it’s still cross-onshore. The combined energy (783) is moderate, but it’s “marginal” at best. That’s the only day that even gets a score of 1 in the file, and it’s not enough to call a standout. By the afternoon, it’s back to choppy junk.

From Friday the 24th through the end of the month, it’s a bleak, consistent pattern. The swell drops steadily, from 4ft down to 3ft, and the period gets even shorter, down to 6 seconds. That’s tiny, weak, and all mixed up. The wind stays cross or cross-onshore, 9 to 16 mph, keeping the surface lumpy and choppy. The combined energy falls to a low 100-200 range, confirming it’s weak.

There’s a small uptick on the 31st of July and into the 1st of August, with the swell climbing back to 5ft-6ft, but it’s the same old song: cross-onshore wind, moderate chop, poor conditions. The period is still short, 7-8 seconds.

So, what’s the best of a bad bunch? Honestly, there isn’t a true standout. The only session that’s even close to being surfable is the morning of Thursday the 23rd. It’s not clean, but it’s the least messy. For a beginner spot, that 6ft is on the bigger side, but with the wind as it is, it’s still a messy paddle. If you’re a kite surfer, this whole stretch might look more interesting than paddling, because the wind is consistent and the waves are just choppy lines.

Bottom line: park the board for the next two weeks. This is a blank run for Ponta Negra. It’s a consistent spot, so it won’t stay this way forever, but for now, the forecasts are all saying “stay home.”

Rusty.

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