Praia da Barra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's get into it, folks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this stretch is a tough one. We're looking at a lot of days where the conditions just aren't coming together. There are a few windows where you might get wet, but don't expect anything world-class.

Our main spot is Praia da Barra, a sandbar that only rarely breaks, so we're already up against it. The water temp is sitting around 68°, which is about average for this time of year, nothing to write home about.

The forecast kicks off on Thursday, September 3rd. Thursday morning is actually the best we see for a while. The wind is glassy out of the ESE at only 3 mph, and there's a 3ft swell from the NNW. It's not big, and the period is a short 7 seconds, so the energy is weak (114), but it's clean. The comment says "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions," and I'd agree. It's something to paddle out for, but you won't be hooting and hollering.

That glassy spell is gone by the afternoon as a 12 mph NNW cross-wind messes it up. From there, it's a grim run. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday... the wind is onshore, cross-onshore, or just plain strong, and the wave quality takes a dive. There's a bit more energy on Saturday afternoon with a 3ft NW swell at 14 seconds (492 energy), but a 9 mph cross-onshore kills it. The rest of the first week and into the second is a write-off – poor surf conditions or marginal calls with messy, choppy water. The wind is mostly from the NNW and N, and it just won't ease up.

There's a glimmer on Tuesday, September 15th. A long-period groundswell rolls in, with a 4ft swell from the WNW at a very long 17 seconds, pushing energy up to 969. But the wind is onshore from the WNW, so it's a total mess. A real shame.

The standout, if you can call it that, is Wednesday, September 16th. The morning session has a 6ft WNW swell with a 14-second period. That's a lot of power – 1364 energy – but at 6ft, it's getting into the size that's too much for beginners. The wind is just a light cross from the S at 3 mph, so it's not blown out. It's still a marginal call, probably a bit lumpy, but for the experienced surfer, that's the one to look at. The afternoon sees it drop a little and the wind shifts onshore again.

Then, on Thursday, September 17th morning, we get a clean-up. The wind drops to absolutely glassy – dead calm – with a 4ft NW groundswell at 12 seconds. The energy is 361. The forecast says "expect good surf conditions," and with the glassy conditions, that's your best chance for a clean, fun wave. It won't be massive, but it'll be the most pleasant paddle of the whole 16 days.

After that, it fades out into small, weak, and wind-affected waves for the rest of the period.

So, to sum it up: if you're desperate, go Thursday the 3rd morning for a glassy knee-high wave. For the real highlight, circle Thursday, September 17th morning on your calendar. That's the one that's cleanest. For the bigger, more powerful stuff, Wednesday, September 16th morning is for the experienced crew only. It's been a rough forecast, but it won't stay this way forever.

Rusty.

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