Ponta do Cacao Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming up for Ponta do Cacao.

Over the next couple of weeks, we've got a real mixed bag. The first few days are surfable but nothing to write home about. The real firecracker is sitting out there in the first week of August, offering the best chance of some proper waves.

Friday 17 July kicks things off with a clean 4.3ft SE swell, period around 10 seconds. The wind is light offshore from the ENE, so it'll be looking tidy. The water's sitting at 73.6°, pretty much dead average for this time of year. It's a gentle start, with moderate energy (396), but it's a solid, clean wave.

The weekend stays small but clean. Saturday 18 July starts small and a bit crossed up in the morning, but the afternoon cleans up nicely with a 3ft swell and a moderate offshore breeze. Sunday 19 July sees the swell nudge up to 4.6ft, shifting more east. The morning is clean, and the afternoon has a solid offshore wind. It's consistent and surfable, but the period drops to 8 seconds, so it's a bit more windswell in nature.

Through the middle of next week, the 3.9ft to 4.9ft easterly swells hang around, but the winds are often strong offshore — up to 18 mph. That will keep things clean, but the wind strength can make it tricky, and the conditions are only ever described as "marginal" or "ordinary." There's a noticeable drop-off in quality from Tuesday 22 July onward, with a lot of "poor surf conditions" peppering the forecast.

We hit a bit of a slump from Saturday 25 July through the end of the month. The swell drops right off, down to 1.6ft or 2.6ft, and the winds get ugly, swinging onshore with some lumpy conditions. There's a brief moment on Sunday 26 July with a glassy 2.3ft wave, but it's weak and very ordinary.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. After that quiet spell, the energy starts building again. The real standout arrives on Friday 31 July. The morning is a bit crossed up, but the afternoon fires up with a 6.2ft SE groundswell, period a solid 10 seconds, and light cross-offshore winds. It's clean, it's got plenty of push, and the combined energy hits 722 — that's a proper moderate to strong swell. This is the one to circle.

Then, Saturday 1 August is shaping up as the best of the whole run. We're looking at a 6.9ft SE swell, still with that 10-second period, and clean conditions in the morning with a light offshore breeze. The energy jumps to 867, and the morning session is forecast as "very good." The swell is pushing 6.9ft, which is getting into expert territory, but for the crew that knows this reef, it's going to be unreal. The afternoon stays good, though the wind picks up.

For the guys who can handle it, Friday 31 July afternoon and Saturday 1 August morning are the clear standouts. The swell direction is from the SE, which is spot-on for the optimum E direction at this spot. Just be aware this is an advanced reef break, and when the swell gets over 6.6ft, it's no place for learners.

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