Ponta Negra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, lookin' at the next 16 days for our local stretch. To be honest, it's a pretty grim picture overall. The forecast is a long stretch of onshore and cross-onshore winds, with moderate energy levels and fairly short-period swell, meaning the lineup is gonna be messy and cut up for the most part.

The only break on the cards is Ponta Negra, and it's a consistent, exposed beginner-friendly spot. For the first few days here, the water is sitting at a warm 81°, which is less than a degree above the long-term average, so pretty much what you'd expect for this time of year. The problem is the wind. From Tuesday the 25th right through the end of August, we're looking at a persistent SE to ESE breeze, anywhere from 12 to 19 mph, keepin' it cross-on. The swell is coming from the ESE, around 5 ft to 6 ft, but with a short period of just 7 to 8 seconds, it's lacking any real punch. The combined energy is mostly in the moderate range, between 241 and 456, but it's just not enough to overcome the chop. There's a slight shift on Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th where the wind goes more directly onshore, but the surf quality is still rated as poor.

We roll into the first week of September, and the pattern doesn't change much. From the 1st to the 5th, the wind stays mostly onshore from the ESE, with a brief moment of lighter 9 mph breezes on the 2nd and 5th. The swell holds steady around 5 ft from the east, but the period remains short. The energy is still moderate, hovering in the 200s. Honestly, it's a tough stretch—the kind of run where you're better off finding something else to do. The rare glimmer comes on the 6th, when the wind eases back to a cross-on 12 mph, but it's still not enough to clean up the weak, short-period waves.

The standout, if you can call it that, is probably the afternoon of Wednesday the 9th of September. The swell period bumps up to 8 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to a strong 523, which is the highest we see in the whole period. The swell is still 5 ft from the ESE, and the wind is a cross-on 12 mph, so it'll be lumpy, but there's finally some proper energy in the water. For a beginner spot like Ponta Negra, that's the most interesting it's gonna get. It's still not clean, but it's the best of a bad bunch.

If you're an experienced surfer, the onshore conditions and short-period swell mean this spot is likely more interesting for kite surfing than paddling in. The setup is just too choppy and blown out for a decent ride.

Overall, it's a long, blank run. Ponta Negra is consistent, so it doesn't tend to stay terrible forever, but this forecast is a doozy. Hang in there.

Rusty.

Read more