Surf Forecasts:
Praia das Macas surf forecast from 30 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Monday 31 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 10s period, NNW swell with 788 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Praia das Macas this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Praia das Macas in the next 16 days are 2.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 16s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Mon 31st Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Praia das Macas over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty comin' at you from the local coast. Let’s have a good, hard look at what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a grim stretch for paddle surfing. The only break we’ve got to look at is Praia das Macas, but the onshore winds just aren’t letting up. The water temp here is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there. The core issue is that the wind is locked in from the north and north-northwest, blowing straight across the swell or onshore, and that’s making a mess of things.
We start on Sunday, August 30th, with a 4ft swell from the northwest, but a cross-onshore wind at 15 mph already has it chopped up. The swell energy is moderate at 218, but it doesn’t matter much with the wind. That afternoon the swell bumps to 5ft and the wind picks up to 19 mph, making it even lumpier. Monday the 31st is the same story – wave heights around 4ft to 4ft, cross-shore and cross-onshore winds at a fresh 22 mph, producing lumpy, ugly conditions. The combined energy ticks up to 436 in the afternoon, but the quality is zero.
As we slide into Tuesday, September 1st, the swell pushes up to 6ft from the north-northwest, but the wind is still a fresh 22 mph cross-onshore, so you’re looking at lumpy, blown-out surf (energy around 565). Wednesday the 2nd drops back to 5ft, but winds are still moderate cross-onshore, and the period is a short 7-8 seconds – just weak, choppy waves. The entire first week is a write-off.
The only flicker of hope I see is on Sunday, September 6th. For the morning session, the wind drops to a light breeze at 6 mph, going cross-shore, and the swell is a 4ft from the northwest with a longer period of 11 seconds. The energy is moderate at 427. It’s the only time the forecast gives us a "marginal" rating instead of "poor". The afternoon has the wind going onshore again at 9 mph, so don’t sleep in if you want a chance. That morning window is the best in the first 10 days – but even then, it’s a gamble.
The second week gets a bit bigger, but no cleaner. By Tuesday, September 8th, we’re looking at 7ft waves in the afternoon, but with 16 mph cross-onshore winds, it’s just a washing machine. Then on Wednesday, September 9th, the swell hits 8ft from the north-northwest, and the combined energy skyrockets to 1153 – that’s strong wave energy, but the wind is a fresh 19-22 mph cross-shore and cross-onshore, creating lumpy, powerful, but completely unsurfable conditions. That size is expert-only anyway, and with that wind, it’s just dangerous.
For the rest of the second week, from September 10th through the 14th, we keep seeing 7ft to 7ft swells with moderate to fresh cross-onshore winds. Monday, September 14th, has a brief moment with a 4ft swell from the north-northwest and a very long period of 12 seconds, but the wind is still light cross-onshore. The energy is strong at 766, but the conditions are only marginal due to tide or wind issues.
Honestly, there are no standouts here. The only window worth paddling out is the morning of Sunday, September 6th, when the wind is light. For the rest of the 16 days, the combo of onshore wind and short-period, lumpy swell makes Praia das Macas a better spot for kite surfing than a surfboard. This is a long, tough run, but don’t let it get you down – forecasts can change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sat night, min 18°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNW on Sat night, fresh winds from the N by Mon afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Thu morning, min 18°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the N on Tue night, light winds from the N by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 14 | NW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
214 | 383 | 230 | 179 | 315 | 341 | 565 | 562 | 412 | 242 | 240 | 140 | 144 | 183 | 153 | 129 | 136 | 102 | 236 | 321 | 614 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 4:29AM2.78m | 4:42PM2.96m | 5:02AM2.77m | 5:17PM2.89m | 5:38AM2.72m | 5:55PM2.75m | 6:17AM2.61m | 6:39PM2.56m | 7:04AM2.46m | 7:33PM2.34m | 8:06AM2.30m | 8:48PM2.14m | 9:30AM2.21m | 10:27PM2.08m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:29AM0.15m | 10:53PM0.10m | 11:03AM0.19m | 11:27PM0.17m | 11:40AM0.27m | 00:04AM0.31m | 12:22PM0.41m | 00:47AM0.49m | 1:14PM0.59m | 1:41AM0.70m | 2:23PM0.76m | 2:57AM0.88m | 4:00PM0.84m | ||||||||
7:03 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | |
— | 8:12 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:02 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
Feels °C | 20 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | W 13 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 10 | NW 10 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | NW 8 | SSW 16 | NW 8 | NNW 7 | SSW 14 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 14 | NW 12 |
214 | 3 | 230 | 179 | 315 | 341 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 68 | 24 | 28 | 144 | 20 | 26 | 24 | 122 | 101 | 236 | 304 | 614 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 13 | — | — | W 11 | SW 16 | SW 16 | — | — | — | SSW 15 | — | SSW 15 | WNW 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | NW 10 | SW 13 | NW 11 | NNW 7 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
4 | — | — | 21 | 11 | 10 | — | — | — | 23 | — | 21 | 8 | 20 | 19 | 28 | 7 | 99 | 67 | 6 | 6 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SW 18 | S 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 14 | — | W 12 | SW 13 | — | SW 13 | NW 12 | — | S 12 |
— | — | — | 12 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | — | 3 | 7 | — | 7 | 53 | — | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NW 9 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | — | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NW 9 | — |
— | 383 | 55 | 88 | 110 | 197 | 565 | 562 | 412 | 242 | 240 | 140 | — | 183 | 153 | 129 | 136 | 102 | 101 | 321 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 14 | 420 | 21 | 222 | 222 | 21 | 222 | 222 | 30 | 14 | 338 | 16 | 20 | 338 | 30 | 15 | 449 | 14 | 14 | 420 | 14 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Lisboa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Portugal | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Praia das Macas Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Praia das Macas provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Praia das Macas can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Praia das Macas surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Praia das Macas) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Praia das Macas may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Praia das Macas is 9 km (6 miles) from Sintra. If you plan a holiday in Lisboa, look for hotels and other accommodation in Sintra. Sintra has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











