Praia das Macas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way for Praia das Macas. The next sixteen days are a bit of a mixed bag, so I’ll walk you through it from start to finish.

We’ve got a long stretch of onshore wind and messy surf for the first week and a half. The wind is mostly from the north, swinging cross-on to cross-onshore, and that’s going to keep the waves bumpy and uninviting. The swell is coming from the NNW most of the time, with occasional periods of NW swell, but it’s just not lining up with the offshore wind we need. The combined swell energy is mostly in the moderate range, with values like 470, 469, 229, and 276, but the wind messes it all up. There’s a bit of a small window early on Sunday the 13th when a light SSE breeze gives us a cross-off wind and clean conditions, with a 3ft NW swell at 13 seconds – that’s a decent groundswell. The energy is moderate at 361. That morning will be the best of the early period, but it’s short-lived. The afternoon brings a 4ft NW swell and a clean offshore wind, but the forecast says it’s marginal due to tide.

Monday the 14th morning is a gem – glassy, with a 4ft NW swell at 11 seconds and 366 energy. That’s the kind of clean, lined-up wave that’ll have you happy. But the wind swings back cross-on by afternoon, and we’re back to choppy conditions.

From Tuesday the 15th through to the 18th, it’s a real grind. The wind stays strong from the north, with speeds up to 28 mph, and the swell gets bigger – we’re looking at 6ft to 8ft NNW and NW swell, with energy values climbing into the 500s, 600s, and even 747 and 1659, but it’s all cross-on and messy. The sets will be heavy and blown out – not a paddle surfer’s friend. The bigger days, like Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th, are really only for the most experienced, and even then, the wind is just too strong. Honestly, this stretch looks more like a kite surfer’s playground than a surf spot.

Then we get a short break. Saturday the 19th morning brings another glassy window, with a 3ft NW swell at 10 seconds and 270 energy. That’s clean, small, and fun for a beginner, but the afternoon gets a bit of onshore wind again.

The gap between decent conditions is noticeable – from the 15th to the 18th, it’s pretty much a write-off. Then we have a few marginal days leading into the second week.

The standout of the whole outlook is on Monday the 21st of September. The morning shows a 7ft NW swell with a 14-second period and a massive 3017 combined energy – that’s strong to very strong wave energy. The wind is light from the NNE, only a light cross-shore. The afternoon is even bigger, with a 10ft NW swell at 13 seconds and 2723 energy, and the wind is light from the NNW. But here’s the thing – the forecast says the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. That’s expert territory only, and it’s a beach break, so with that long period, the waves might break too straight. Even so, if you’re a solid surfer and you know the bank, the morning could offer some serious, powerful walls. The afternoon is probably too big to be safe.

After that, the 22nd and 23rd are back to cross-on wind and choppy, with 7ft to 6ft NNW swell at 9 seconds, energy in the 600s and 700s. The 24th and 25th have some longer-period NW swell (15 to 18 seconds) with very high energy (1144 to 1460), but the wind is cross-on, so it’s a case of what could have been.

The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so no need to worry about a wetsuit thickness change.

So, the best on offer? The Sunday the 13th morning is clean but small, and the Monday the 14th morning is glassy with a nice little groundswell. The real standout is the morning of Monday the 21st of September – that’s the one to keep an eye on, but it’s a long-range call, so don’t book your flights yet. It’s for experts only, and it’s a long way off.

Rusty.

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