Praia das Macas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Praia das Macas over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – it’s a frustrating run. We’ve got a solid gap of poor conditions right through the start, with no real surf recommendation until the second week. The first few days are a write-off, with cross-onshore winds and messy, bumpy surf. The wind stays onshore or cross-shore for most of the period, which is a real shame because the swell isn’t always the problem.

The first real glimmer of hope shows up on Sunday, 13 September. The morning is the standout. We’ve got a clean 3ft swell from the NW, with a period of 13 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell. The wind is light offshore from the SE, and the combined energy is moderate (422). The water temp is sitting at 68°, which is pretty much average for this time of year, so no surprises there. This is the best window on offer. The break is consistent and exposed, and with that offshore, it’s going to be clean. The only caveat is that long-period swells like this (over 11 seconds) can be a bit straight at beach breaks, but with a light offshore, it should still be fun.

Monday morning, 14 September, is another decent shout. Swell drops a touch to 4ft from the NW, but the period is still a solid 12 seconds. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the SE, keeping it clean. Energy is moderate (409). This is a solid second option, but that Sunday morning is the pick.

After that, the wind turns ugly again. We get a bit of a pulse on the 18th and 19th with some bigger swell – 8ft on Friday morning, 8ft in the afternoon – but it’s all cross-onshore and choppy. That much swell (over 8ft on the 18th) is only for experts anyway, and the wind is making it a mess. Honestly, that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The very end of the run, on Wednesday, 23 September, is interesting but far out. The morning is glassy – a 4ft NW swell with a 10-second period, and the wind is practically nothing from the NNE. Energy is moderate (311). Then the afternoon brings a big, long-period groundswell of 3ft from the WNW with a 16-second period. That’s a proper long-period pulse, but it’s onshore wind and the direction is a bit off. The energy is high (765), but it’s a wait-and-see situation. This is a long-range call, so it’s promising but less certain.

So, to sum it up: the only real standout is Sunday morning, 13 September. That’s the one to pencil in. The rest of the window is mostly a battle with the wind. If you’re a beginner, anything over 5ft gets big, and the 18th and 19th are definitely for experts only, but the wind will ruin it for everyone.

Rusty.

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