Praia das Macas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here, breaking down the next couple of weeks at Praia das Macas. It's gonna be a mixed bag, but there's one morning that's a total standout, so mark your calendar.

The pattern kicks off pretty average. Tuesday the 25th of August starts small with a 5ft swell from the WNW, and it's glassy in the morning, so that's a little bonus. The surf is there, but nothing special. By the afternoon, the wind shifts and it's all over, with a score of zero for the rest of the week. Strong onshore winds and lumpy, choppy surf dominate through Thursday and Friday, with the swell building to over 7ft but the wind just destroying it. The wave energy on Thursday morning hits 480 (moderate), but it's a right-off.

Now, Friday the 28th of August morning is the one. This is the real deal. We’ve got a solid 8ft groundswell from the WNW, with a period of 11 seconds, and the wind is light and cross-shore from the NNE at only 3 mph. That's a winning combo. This is a long-period swell, so it’ll have good shape and punch, but at a beach break like this, the long period might make it a little straight. Still, the combined energy is a strong 1433, and with those clean conditions, it’s gonna be a great session. The crowds might be a factor though, as it's "sometimes" busy. The water temp is about what you'd expect for this time of year, so no surprises.

After that, it gets messy again. Strong north winds kick up the cross-shore chop through the weekend and into the next week. The swell hangs around in the 5ft to 8ft range, but it's all blown out or lumpy. The energy spikes up to 1267 on Tuesday the 1st of September, but the onshore wind ruins it. This kind of rough, windy forecast is more for the kite surfers than us paddle guys.

Then, into the second week, it looks pretty grim. The swell drops off, but the wind stays strong onshore. There's a glimmer on the 8th of September morning, with a massive 12ft swell from the WNW and a 14-second period – that's a huge groundswell with a combined energy of 4414. The wind is light and cross-shore, but the swell is simply too big for this spot, even for the experts. It's a hard pass. The rest of that week is a mess with strong cross-onshore winds.

So, bottom line: a lot of poor conditions, but that Friday the 28th of August morning is your window. Get out there for that clean, solid groundswell.

Rusty.

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