Praia das Macas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s heading our way for Praia das Macas over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, I’m not going to sugarcoat it – this 16-day window is a tough one for surfers. The first week and a half is a write-off, and the whole period is plagued by cross-onshore winds and messy conditions. The combined energy stays low for a long time, with a figure of just 94 (weak) on the morning of the 11th, and it takes until the 18th of July to even see three-digit numbers, but that comes with a lot of wind. There’s a solid run of swell from the 18th of July through to the 26th, but it’s all blown out.

The standout break here is Praia das Macas. It’s a consistent, beginner-friendly spot, exposed to the NW, which is the direction the swell is coming from. The water temp is sitting at 66°, which is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

The first real pulse of decent-sized swell kicks off on Saturday the 18th of July. The morning sees a 7ft NW swell with a combined energy of 397 (moderate), but it’s coming with a strong 19 mph cross-onshore wind from the NNW. That’s lumpy, choppy, and not clean. The swell keeps pumping through the 19th (7ft, 460 energy) and the 20th (7ft, 621 energy), but the wind stays stubbornly cross-onshore at 12-16 mph. This is shaping up to be more of a kiteboarding session than a paddle session.

The biggest pulse hits on the 21st of July, Tuesday morning. The swell jumps to 8ft from the NNW with a combined energy of 1420 (very strong). That is a lot of power, but again, the wind is a moderate 12 mph cross-onshore. For a beginner spot, 8ft is too big, and the cross-shore chop makes it a mess for everyone. The period is 9 seconds, so it’s a short-period wind swell, not the clean, groundswell lines you’d want for a point break.

The last days of the window, from the 23rd to the 26th of July, keep the swell size between 7ft and 8ft, with combined energy staying in the strong range (500-1200+), but the wind never lets up. It’s cross-on or cross-shore, and the 25th of July Saturday afternoon shows 8ft of NNW swell with 746 energy, but it’s still cross-onshore. The crowd factor is listed as "sometimes" at this spot, but with this much windy, messy swell, it’s not going to be the kind of day you’d want to paddle out for.

So, the bottom line: there’s plenty of swell in the second week, but without a window of offshore or glassy wind, none of it is worth paddling out for. It’s a long stretch of poor conditions. Stick to the beach for a walk and keep an eye on the charts for a change.

Rusty.

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