Praia da Barra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk surf for Praia da Barra.

First thing, the water is sitting at 70°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year – nice to know if you’re skipping the wetsuit.

We’re kicking off on Thursday the 13th of August with a morning session that’s looking like the best bet for a while. The swell is a clean 3 ft from the WNW with a 10-second period, and the wind is glassy out of the west. The wave energy is moderate (235), but with those conditions, the sandbar could offer some fun, clean lines. The crowd is a possibility, but that’s the trade-off for clean waves.

After that, things get tough. Friday and Saturday are plagued with cross-onshore winds and lumpy, choppy conditions. Saturday the 15th actually sees a big pulse of swell – 8 ft in the morning from the NNW, with short 8-second period – and the combined energy is 1123, which is strong. But it’s blowing fresh cross-onshore by the afternoon at 19 mph. That’s one for expert surfers only, and even then, it’s going to be messy. For most of us, that’s kite-surfing territory, not paddle surfing.

We get a short window again on Monday the 17th of August in the morning. Another glassy session, 5 ft from the NNW, and the winds are dead calm out of the north. The period is still short (8 seconds), so it won't be the best shape, but the clean surface will make it rideable.

After that, we hit a long gap. The second week is a write-off for good surf. There’s a big rise on Saturday the 22nd of August – 8 ft from the NNW again – but the wind is moderate cross-shore and gusty, with a score that’s not worth the paddle. The waves are too short-period and choppy to be any good.

There is one more flash in the pan on Tuesday the 25th of August morning. The swell has dropped to 3 ft from the WNW, and we get another glassy period with zero wind. The wave energy is moderate (243), and it’s the cleanest thing in the second week. It’s a small, clean wave for the patient surfer.

The absolute standout is Thursday the 13th of August morning. That small, glassy WNW swell is the best balance of size and quality on offer, even if it’s not big. The only other one to look out for is that Monday the 17th of August morning glass-out.

This spot is rarely breaking, and this forecast shows why: a few clean sessions, then a lot of wind-slop and blown-out days. Keep an eye on the 13th and 17th mornings. The rest is a wait-and-see game.

Rusty.

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