Ponta Negra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. The outlook is a bit of a tough one for the whole 16-day window. Honestly, there’s nothing I’d call a standout—the file is pretty much blank on good surf. Every single day from Monday the 31st of August right through to Tuesday the 15th of September is showing poor surf conditions. It’s a long stretch of nothing special.

We start off Monday the 31st with a clean 6ft swell from the ESE, but the wind is a cross-onshore breeze at 16 mph, which trashes the surface. The combined energy sits at a moderate 498, but the wave comment says it all—poor surf. That’s the story through Tuesday and Wednesday too, with waist-high swell around 5ft to 6ft, but the wind stays onshore or cross-on, keeping the ocean looking messy. There’s a tiny bump in energy on Wednesday morning with combined energy at 667, but the period is only 9 seconds and the wind is still on, so it’s not giving us anything clean.

From Thursday the 3rd through the 7th of September, the swell drops slowly from 5ft down to 4ft, all from the east or ESE. Periods are short at 8 or 9 seconds, and the wind is a steady 12 mph onshore. The combined energy fades from 468 down to 144, so there’s just not enough push or shape. The water temperature is 81° with a tiny anomaly of +0.6°, so it’s pretty average for the time of year.

The second week is more of the same. From the 8th to the 15th of September, we’re looking at weak, short-period swell between 4ft and 5ft. The wind doesn’t let up, mostly ESE or SE at 12–16 mph, and it’s cross-on or onshore. The energy is low, under 300 for most of it. Combined energy Wednesday the 9th is 191, and Thursday the 10th is 279, but the period is just 7 seconds and the wind is cross-on, so it’s choppy and not worth paddling out for.

The only break on the list is Ponta Negra. It’s a consistent, exposed beach break, and the optimum swell direction is NE. We’re getting ESE swell, which isn’t its best angle, and the onshore east wind is not helping. Crowds are often an issue, but honestly, with conditions this poor, it might be quiet. The swell is mostly under 5ft, so it’s okay for beginners, but the wind and chop make it a struggle. The setup would be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing most days.

No single day stands out as a go. It’s a blank run, and for this area, that’s pretty normal when the wind is stuck onshore. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d leave the board at home.

Rusty.

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