Praia da Vila Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Praia da Vila has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a slow start, but there’s some real promise later on if you’ve got the patience.

Right now, we’re looking at a pretty flat and messy picture. The first few days are a write-off, honestly. Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th have weak, onshore wind and tiny, short-period swell. The wave energy is pretty low (397) and the conditions are just ordinary. You’re better off staying home. That carries through Monday the 31st—still light wind, but the swell is short-period and the energy is only moderate (535). The surf is there, but it’s not worth getting excited about.

Then we hit a real rough patch. Tuesday the 1st and Wednesday the 2nd of September bring a big jump in swell size, but it’s all onshore wind and the wave energy is moderate to strong (up to 3436). The wind is absolutely howling on Tuesday, 35 km/h from the southwest, and the surf is a blown-out mess. Wednesday has a bit more size, with 10ft to 8ft of swell, but the wind is cross-onshore and it’s choppy. Honestly, for a sandbar break like this, that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, nothing to write home about.

We get a brief window of clean surf on Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th. The swell drops back to 5ft to 4ft, from the southeast, with a period of 9 seconds. The wind is offshore and light, and the wave energy is moderate (440). It’s clean, but the waves are pretty ordinary. Not a standout, but you could get a few.

The real standout is the window from Sunday the 7th of September through to Wednesday the 10th. This is where it gets interesting. Sunday the 7th has some solid 8ft swell from the south, with a long period of 12 seconds and very strong energy (3787). The wind is offshore and moderate, so it’ll be clean. This is a big, powerful groundswell—long period, so it’ll be better shaped and have more energy, but at a beach break like Praia da Vila, it might break a bit straight. Still, for experienced surfers, this is the best on offer. The crowds are likely here, so get in early.

Monday the 8th and Tuesday the 9th are a bit more mixed with onshore wind, but the swell holds. Then Wednesday the 10th of September is the real gem. We’ve got 6ft to 5ft of swell from the SSE, with a very long period of 13 seconds, light offshore wind, and clean conditions. The wave energy is very strong (1582). This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The long period will give you proper, lined-up waves, and the offshore wind will keep it glassy. That’s the session to circle.

After that, Thursday the 11th has another solid day with 7ft swell from the ENE and glassy conditions, but the period drops to 9 seconds. It’s still very good, but not quite the quality of the 10th. Then things fade again by the 12th and 13th. So, if you’re waiting for the best, aim for the 10th.

Rusty.

Read more