Praia Grande (Ubatuba) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for your stretch of coast. Over the next 16 days, it’s a tale of two halves: a long, quiet, lacklustre start, then a real pulse of energy arrives in the final week. The first surf worth paddling for isn’t until Friday the 17th, and honestly, it’s not a barnstormer. The swell’s only 3 ft from the ESE, with a short 8-second period, but the wind is glassy out of the NW at 3 mph. The water’s sitting at 70°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year – nothing abnormal there. The combined energy of all swells directed here is a moderate 228. For a beginner-friendly spot like Praia Grande (Ubatuba), that’s clean enough to get a few knee-to-waist high lines, but the lack of power means you’ll be working for every turn.

That Friday morning window is the best on offer for the first week. Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th have similar morning glass-offs – 3 ft and 4 ft respectively – but the swell direction swings a bit and the period stays short, so it’s just ordinary, rideable surf. The afternoons are a write-off with cross-onshore breezes messing it up. The whole stretch from Monday the 20th through to Friday the 24th is a grind: small wave heights, often under 3 ft, and weak energy readings dropping into the double digits (69) at times. A few mornings are glassy or clean, but the swell is gutless. It’s a classic flat spell for this area, and it lasts a solid eight days of nothing to write home about.

Then the wait pays off. The real standout is Sunday the 26th, and I’m getting a bit excited here. Early morning, the wind is glassy from the SE at 3 mph, and the swell is only 2 ft, but the period jumps to a very long 16 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, and the combined energy reading is a strong 487. This is a point-break or reef sort of swell – at a beach break like Praia Grande, it might break a bit straight, but the water will be silky clean. If you can get an outside peak, the wait between sets will be worth it. The afternoon sees the swell jump to 5 ft with a 14-second period and the energy skyrockets to 857 – that’s strong. Wind is a light cross-onshore, so not perfect, but that’s a lot of power. For experienced surfers, the morning of Friday the 31st is a bombshell: 5 ft, 12-second period, glassy calm winds, and the combined energy reading hits 1189. That is very strong, and the file says it’s excellent for experienced surfers. For beginners, 5 ft is starting to push it, but if you’re confident, it’s a session to remember. The long-range promise is a bit less certain, but it looks like a solid finish to the month.

So, the pick of the period is the morning of Sunday the 26th for the clean, long-period groundswell, and the morning of Friday the 31st for the bigger, powerful, glassy conditions. Keep an eye on the tide, and don’t sleep on that late-July pulse.

Rusty.

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