Praia de Altura Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, folks, Rusty here. I’ve had a good look at the charts for the Praia de Altura region, and I’ve got to be straight with you – it’s a tough outlook.

The next 16 days are looking pretty bleak for a proper surf. There’s a long, dry spell from now all the way through until the tail end of the period. For the first two weeks, the combined swell energy is sitting at a flat zero, and the wave heights are either a dash or barely a bump. We’re talking about a run of poor surf conditions with no real swell to speak of. The mornings are seeing clean offshore winds, but without any waves, it’s just a flat, glassy pond. The afternoons offer a bit of cross-shore chop, but with swell heights maxing out at a pathetic 2ft and periods of only 3 seconds, it’s not worth getting wet.

The only flicker of life comes right at the very end of the forecast, on the morning of August 19th. We finally see a tiny 0.3ft swell from the south, with a very long period of 14 seconds. The combined energy is still weak. The wind is a moderate offshore from the NNW, so it’ll be clean. But let’s be real, 0.3ft is barely a ripple. Then on the morning of August 20th, we get a similar whisper of a 0.3ft south swell with a 13-second period and a clean cross-offshore breeze from the NE. The energy is still next to nothing.

So, what’s the best on offer? Honestly, there isn’t a standout. The only thing that even registers is that tiny bit of long-period south swell on the 19th and 20th. Praia de Altura is an exposed beach, and with that long period (14s and 13s) and tiny height, it’s going to be a very slow, gutless dribble. It’s inconsistent at the best of times, and this is as flat as it gets. The water temp is a pleasant 72°, about normal for the time of year, but that’s the only highlight.

Don’t hold your breath. This is a proper blank run. It’s pretty normal for the area to go quiet, and this is a classic example.

Rusty.

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