Ponta da Praia Mole Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag, and we’ve got a long stretch of meh before anything really gets going. We’re looking at Ponta da Praia Mole, a reef set-up that’s very consistent, exposed to the east, and its optimum swell direction is from the east. The water temp is sitting at 74°, which is spot on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first few days are pretty grim. Tuesday afternoon the 4th kicks off with a 4ft easterly swell at a short 8 seconds, but a cross-onshore breeze at 16 mph has it chopped up and messy. Combined swell energy is moderate at 225. Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th don’t offer much either – we’re looking at marginal conditions with cross-shore winds and lumpy, poor surf. Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th are a write-off too, with the wind picking up to 25 mph on Saturday afternoon, making it a mess. Sunday the 9th keeps the trend of clean, cross-off winds in the morning but the swell is only 5ft, and the wind cranks up again in the arvo.

After a week of this, we finally get a glimmer. Monday morning the 10th is the standout in the first week. The wind drops to glassy, just 3 mph from the NE, and we’ve got a 2ft swell from the south with a very long period of 14 seconds. Combined energy is moderate at 254. That south swell is a groundswell, and it’s going to wrap in nicely – the reef there will handle the long period well, shaping up some clean, fun little waves. The glassy conditions are a major positive, so it’ll be clean as a whistle. The afternoon goes cross-onshore and choppy again, so get in early.

Tuesday the 11th morning sees a bigger 5ft swell from the south at 7 seconds, but it’s a short period and cross-shore winds make it marginal. The energy is strong at 513. The rest of that week stays average at best, with light rain and cross-shore winds on the 12th. Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th mornings offer clean surf with cross-off winds, but the swell is small – 2ft to 3ft, with periods around 10 to 11 seconds. It’s surfable, but nothing to get excited about.

Now, looking ahead to the second week, things get more interesting, but it’s less certain. Saturday the 15th has a 3ft swell from the SSE at a very long 14 seconds, but the wind is a cross-shore blow at 16 mph, and combined energy is strong at 637. It’s a messy day. Sunday the 16th is marginal, with a 3ft to 5ft swell from the SSE, but the wind is onshore or cross-onshore.

Monday the 17th morning has a clean 5ft swell from the SE at 7 seconds, but the period is short. The afternoon kicks up to 6ft from the SE at 12 seconds, with a fresh cross-shore wind. Combined energy is very strong at 1054. That’s a lot of energy, but it’ll be lumpy. Tuesday the 18th morning is clean with a 4ft swell from the SSE at 14 seconds, energy is very strong at 925. The wind is cross-off, so it’ll be clean, but the long period might make it a bit straight at the reef.

The best of the long-range stuff looks like Wednesday the 19th morning. We’ve got a 5ft swell from the SSE with a very long 15-second period, and clean cross-off winds from the north at 12 mph. Combined energy is very strong at 1183. That’s a lot of water moving – the reef should handle that long period well, offering some proper waves. But it’s three weeks out, so keep an eye on the forecasts. The afternoon goes messy again with a strong cross-onshore breeze.

Overall, Monday the 10th morning is the clear best bet in the first week – glassy, clean, and a nice groundswell wrapping in. For the second week, Wednesday the 19th morning looks promising, but it’s a long way off. There’s a big gap of poor surf from the 4th to the 9th, and then a few decent windows. Given the consistency of the spot, it won’t stay poor forever, but this is a pretty average run.

Rusty.

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