Praia das Macas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let me tell you straight up – it's gonna be a tough stretch for a while. We're looking at a solid run of days where the surf just isn't cooperating. The wind is almost always cross-onshore, the swell is small and weak, and the conditions are just plain messy. There's a big gap of poor surf from now until the end of the month.

The first real glimmer of hope doesn't show up until Wednesday, July 29th. Even then, it's a bit of a tease. The swell at Praia das Macas picks up to 8ft from the NNW, but it's still a cross-onshore wind and the conditions are described as "marginal." The wave energy is starting to build, though, hitting a strong 1077 (moderate to strong energy). It's not the one, but it's a sign things are changing.

Then we get to Thursday, July 30th. This is where it gets interesting. The morning session at Praia das Macas is looking like our first true standout. We've got a solid 8ft swell from the NNW, but the key is the wind. It's swinging offshore from the East, just a light breeze, and it's going to be clean. The period is 9 seconds, a solid medium-period groundswell, so there'll be some good shape to it. The wave energy is very strong at 990. This is a window for the more experienced surfers, as that 8ft is getting into the "experts only" zone.

Looking ahead to the first week of August, the swell keeps pumping. Saturday, August 1st, the morning has a big 10ft NNW swell with an offshore East wind again, making for clean conditions. The energy is huge at 1274. However, at this size, it's going to be too big for the break at Praia das Macas and is strictly for experts. The same goes for Sunday, August 2nd – the morning has a 12ft swell from the NNW with a clean offshore wind from the ESE. The wave energy is a massive 2325. This is a proper, powerful swell, but again, it's a lot of water. For experienced surfers, that Sunday morning is the best on offer, but it's a long way out so keep your fingers crossed. The water temp is sitting at 68°, which is about average for the time of year.

So, to sum it up: suffer through the first ten days or so, then the potential starts to build. The standout is the morning of Thursday, July 30th for a solid, clean swell, but the real big-wave action kicks off in early August. For the average punter, the first week of August is too big. For the chargers, get ready.

Rusty.

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