Praia da Vila Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, checking in on the local stretch. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag on the cards for the next couple of weeks, but we’ll get to the good stuff.

First up, the water is sitting at 60°, which is a whole 6° colder than what’s normal for this time of year. That’s seriously unusual, so you’ll want a thick wetsuit if you’re heading out.

The outlook kicks off on Thursday 16 July, but it’s a pretty flat start. The swell is tiny at 3 ft from the ESE with a short 10-second period, and though the wind is offshore from the NNE it’s blowing 16 mph. The combined energy is weak (151), and honestly, it’s just poor surf conditions. Not worth paddling out for.

Friday 17 July is much the same – small 2-2 ft ESE swell, energy dropping to 83-85, and the wind is cross-off or offshore but still fresh. Still poor.

We get a little bump on Saturday 18 July morning with 6 ft from the ENE and a short 8-second period, energy jumping to 523. That’s moderate wave energy, but it’s a short-period swell and the wind is cross-off, making it look marginal. Not great for a paddle, but if you’ve got a kite, this could be more interesting than a surfboard.

Sunday 19 July morning is similar – 6 ft ENE, 8-second period, 426 energy, still cross-off. Again, marginal and better suited to a kite.

Now, Monday 20 July morning is where things start to look a bit better. The swell is 5 ft from the ENE, 8-second period, with 362 energy. The wind is glassy from the SW at only 3 mph, and it’s flagged as “expect good surf conditions.” That’s a clean window, but the short period means it won’t have much shape. Still, a glassy morning is a treat.

Tuesday 21 July morning offers 5 ft ENE swell, 8-second period, 340 energy, with light cross-off wind from the NNW. Clean again, but still short-period.

Wednesday 22 July through Thursday 23 July see more swell, but the wind turns onshore or questionable. Thursday 23 July afternoon looks promising though – 4 ft from the SSE, 9-second period, 274 energy, and glassy wind from the NE at 3 mph. That’s a clean, surfable afternoon.

The real standout comes on Saturday 25 July morning. We’ve got a solid 7 ft swell from the SSE with a long 12-second period, pumping out 1091 energy – that’s strong wave energy. The wind is light and cross-off from the N at 6 mph, and it’s marked as “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” This is a groundswell, and it’s going to have real power and shape. With 7 ft, it’s a bit big for beginners, but for anyone with some experience, this is the session to aim for. The long period will make for clean, lined-up waves, especially if you can find a point or reef, though at a sandbar like Praia da Vila, it might break a bit straight at times. The crowds are noted as “sometimes,” so expect a few others out. This is the best on offer by a long shot.

Saturday 25 July afternoon still has good 5 ft SSE swell with 11-second period, 893 energy, and offshore wind from the NNE. Very clean, but not as big or powerful as the morning.

The rest of the window is a lot of flares and fades. Sunday 26 July has some glassy but smaller surf, and from Monday 27 July onward it drops off into poor conditions with weak energy and onshore winds. Thursday 30 July morning has a brief glassy window with 5 ft from the ENE (7 seconds, 268 energy), but it’s short-period and nothing special.

The final day, Friday 31 July, sees a big spike of 8 ft from the S with 11 seconds and 1575 energy, but the wind is a strong onshore 16 mph from the SW, making it a messy, choppy mess. Only for the very keen or the experts.

Overall, the clear standout is Saturday 25 July morning. Get on it. Everything else is either flat, marginal, or blown out – but that one morning has real quality.

Rusty.

Read more