Ponta Negra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s take a look at Ponta Negra, because we’ve got a full 16-day window, but the story is pretty flat for a long stretch. The first decent recommendation doesn’t come up until the 11th of September, and that’s a big gap—about nine days—with no surf worth paddling for. The whole pattern is small, choppy, and blown out with a steady cross-onshore wind from the ESE.

Starting Wednesday the 2nd of September, Ponta Negra has 1.4m of swell from the ESE, but it’s messy with a cross-onshore breeze at 15 km/h, and the wave energy is moderate (329). The water is 27°, which is about normal for this time of year. The surf is poor, choppy, and uninviting. That’s the theme for the next week. Through Thursday, Friday, and into the weekend, the swell stays between 1.1m and 1.5m, but the period is short—8 to 9 seconds—and the wind is onshore or cross-onshore from the ESE or SE at 20 km/h. The energy ticks up a bit on Thursday afternoon (368) and Friday morning (378), but the quality is still poor. No clean windows, no glassy mornings, no offshore breeze. Just a long grind of mediocre, workable but not fun surf.

The only real standout, if you can call it that, is Friday the 11th of September. The swell pushes up to 1.7m from the ESE, with a short period of 7 seconds, so it’s going to be lumpy and close together. The wind is still cross-onshore from the ESE at 20 km/h, but the wave energy hits 427 (moderate to strong). For Ponta Negra, an exposed beach break, this is the biggest swell of the window. The problem is that 1.7m with a cross-onshore breeze is not clean. It’s choppy and bumpy, and for a spot that’s better for beginners, it’s getting a bit too big for the less experienced. The next day, Saturday the 12th, drops to 1.6m, but the wind stays onshore, so still not good.

After that, we tail off into the second week with smaller, weaker swells, often below 1.4m, and the wind doesn’t let up. The 14th of September brings a fresh cross-onshore breeze at 30 km/h, making it lumpy and messy. The 17th drops to 0.8m-0.9m, but the wind is still moderate to fresh. Honestly, the whole 16-day run is a write-off for quality surf. There’s no day where the wind turns offshore or the swell lines up with the optimum NE direction. The combined energy never dips below 100, but it’s all short-period, onshore junk.

If you’re determined to get wet, the 11th of September is your best bet, but even then, it’s a choppy, 1.7m east-southeast swell with cross-onshore wind. It’s not a standout, just the least bad option. For anyone else, this looks way more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, given the steady cross-onshore wind and moderate wave energy. The crowds at Ponta Negra can be often, but with surf this poor, I doubt many will be out.

Rusty.

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