Ponta do Mangue Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m looking at what we’ve got for the coming weeks, and I’ll be straight with you – it’s a tough run. Ponta do Mangue is the only spot on the cards, and for the whole 16 days, the conditions are just not playing ball. There’s a real dry spell here, with no proper surf window to get excited about. The first week is pretty much a write-off, and while the second week has a bit more size, the wind and quality just aren’t there.

Let’s start with the water. It’s sitting at 80°, which is about normal for this time of year – nothing unusual there, just your standard warm tropical bath.

From Sunday 2nd August right through the first week, it’s a flat, messy story. We’re looking at small swell, mostly around 2 ft to 4 ft, coming from the ESE and SSE with short periods of 7 to 8 seconds – that’s windswell, not groundswell, so the waves are weak and lacking any punch. The combined energy is low to moderate, ranging from 69 to 236, so nothing to get the heart racing. The wind is onshore or cross-onshore from the SE and E, blowing at 6 to 12 mph, keeping the surface messy and choppy. It’s all rated as poor surf conditions. Wednesday 5th August morning gets a marginal nod, but with rain showers and a light onshore breeze, it’s not worth paddling out for.

The second week sees a bit more size, but the quality doesn’t improve. From Saturday 15th August, the swell builds to 7 ft from the SSE with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 609 to 737 – that’s moderate to strong energy, so there’s power in the water. But the wind stays onshore or cross-onshore, with a fresh breeze hitting 19 mph on the Saturday afternoon, making it lumpy and ugly. That size is pushing into expert-only territory, but with the wind chopping it up, it’s more of a mess than a wave. The rest of the week stays around 4 ft to 7 ft, still short period, still onshore or cross-onshore winds, and still poor.

The only real standout is an uncomfortable one: the bigger swell on the 15th and 16th August has some energy, but with the wind ripping onshore, this setup at Ponta do Mangue, which is a beach and reef setup, might actually be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. For a surfer, there’s just nothing to recommend here.

So, honestly, if you’re looking to get waves, you’re out of luck for this 16-day stretch. It’s one of those blank runs that happens sometimes. Forecasts can change, but right now, leave the board at home.

Rusty

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