Ponta do Mangue Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate, let’s get stuck into the outlook for the next couple of weeks. We’re looking at Ponta do Mangue, and I’ll be straight with you — it’s a tough run ahead. The forecast is pretty much a blank wall of poor surf conditions for days on end, with no real standout sessions to get excited about. The wind is almost always from the east or east-northeast, blowing cross-onshore, keeping things choppy and messy. The swell is small and weak, mostly from the south or southeast, with short periods, so the waves are just not getting their act together.

Let’s start at the beginning. Thursday morning, the 27th of August, we’ve got a 3 ft south swell, period 17 seconds — that’s a long-period groundswell, but the energy is weak at 483, and the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s choppy and poor. That pattern holds right through the end of August and into early September. The swell height bounces between 3 ft and 6 ft, but the wind is always cross-onshore, the period drops short, and the energy is mostly weak to moderate — the biggest reading is 793 on the 28th, but still poor conditions. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing wild.

There’s a gap of over a week with absolutely no recommendations — every session is rated zero until Thursday, the 10th of September. On that day, we get a slight flicker of hope: a morning session with a 4 ft swell from the east-southeast, period 12 seconds, and energy at 624 — that’s moderate. The wind is cross-shore, so it’s a bit less messy, but it’s still only a marginal surf forecast. Then Friday the 11th morning, we get a 5 ft east swell, period 8 seconds, energy 555, with a gentle cross-shore breeze — again, marginal, but it’s the closest we get to anything rideable. Still, the conditions are cross-shore with a slight chop, so it’s not clean.

Honestly, mate, there’s no standout here. The best on offer is that Thursday the 10th morning, with a bit more size and a longer period, but the wind is still not doing us any favours. If you’re desperate, you might paddle out then, but don’t expect much. This spot is fairly consistent in terms of swell always showing up, but the wind and quality just aren’t playing ball. For beginners, the swell stays under 5 ft most of the time, so it’s not too big, but the chop and cross-onshore winds make it tough. Ponta do Mangue is exposed to the south swell, and the optimum direction is south, so the swell direction is fine, but the wind is the killer.

Stay patient, folks. Forecasts can change, but right now, this is a write-off for paddle surfing. If you’ve got a kite, the cross-onshore winds and lumpy conditions might actually be more interesting.

Rusty.

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