Praia das Macas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, Rusty here, and I've got the lowdown on the local surf scene for the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – it’s looking like a bit of a tough stretch ahead. We've got Praia das Macas on the table, and honestly, the conditions are a mixed bag for most of the period.

The water temperature is sitting around 69° right now, which is about normal for this time of year, so no need to dig out the extra thick rubber just yet.

Let’s start with this week. Wednesday afternoon (19th August) we’ve got a tiny 3 ft swell from the NNW, but it's only a 7-second period, so weak and short. The wind is light and onshore, so it's not looking great. The combined energy is a weak 103, which says it all. Thursday and Friday are similarly poor with small WNW swells and fresh cross-onshore winds making a mess of things. Friday afternoon sees the swell bump up to 7 ft (moderate energy at 898), but with a 22 mph cross-onshore, it’s going to be lumpy and blown out. Not one for the logbook.

The weekend offers a glimmer, but it's a tough one. Saturday morning (22nd August) has a 6 ft NNW swell with a 10-second period (moderate energy at 555), but the wind is a cross-onshore, leaving it fairly choppy. The best window might be Sunday (23rd August). In the morning we get a 4 ft WNW swell with a 10-second period (moderate energy at 446) and a strong cross-offshore wind from the SSE making it clean. That’s a standout for the period, but it’s a strong 22 mph breeze, so it’ll be a battle. The afternoon keeps the clean conditions with a 5 ft swell from the W, but the same fresh wind.

Then we hit a long dry spell. From Monday (24th August) all the way through to Wednesday (3rd September), the surf is consistently poor. We’ve got a lot of onshore and cross-onshore winds, mostly from the NW and N, and the swell directions are all over the shop. The swell heights do get up to 8 ft on the 29th of August, but that’s with a 22 mph cross-onshore – that’s expert-only territory and it’s going to be a washing machine. There are a few marginal mornings, like the 28th of August and the 31st of August, but the wind is never quite right. Honestly, for a beach break like this, with the wind and swell directions we’re seeing, it might be more interesting for the kite surfers than the paddle crew.

So, to be blunt, the best option we have in the whole 16-day window is that Sunday morning (23rd August) for a clean session, but it’s a short-lived window. The consistency is just not there, and the forecasts are poor for the vast majority of the time. It’s a frustrating run, but it happens. Keep an eye on it, forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a wait-and-see kind of situation.

Rusty.

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