Praia das Macas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you – it's a tough one. The outlook is pretty grim, with no real surf to get excited about for the whole 16-day period. We're looking at a blank run, and it's a bit of a bummer for this area.

The only spot in the game is Praia das Macas, a beginner-friendly beach break that's pretty consistent. It's exposed to the swell, but the problem is the wind. It's coming from the north and north-northwest, which is cross-onshore, meaning it's choppy and messy.

Let's walk through the dates. Starting Monday the 27th of July, we've got a tiny 4 ft swell from the NNW with a short period of 7 seconds, and the combined swell energy is a weak 185. The wind is a light breeze, but it's cross-onshore, so you're looking at small, wind-rippled waves. That's a no-go. This trend continues all week. Tuesday the 28th, the swell bumps up a little to 4 ft, with 10-second period and moderate energy (327), but the wind is stronger, making it choppy. The same story plays out Wednesday, Thursday, and into the weekend. By Friday the 31st, the swell period drops to a shocking 6 seconds, with only 79 energy, and the wind is moderate cross-shore. It's a mess.

We push into the first week of August, and there's no change. The wind is relentless. Saturday the 1st of August shows a 5 ft swell with a 9-second period, but the wind is a moderate cross-onshore, making it choppy. The energy is moderate (372), but it's wasted. Even when the swell tries to pick up, the wind kills it. By Sunday the 9th of August, we see a 5 ft swell from the NW with a 10-second period, and energy jumps to 527, but the wind is a strong breeze, making it a lumpy, messy disaster. It's actually more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing at that point.

The only real "standout," if you can call it that, is the very end of the forecast. On Tuesday the 11th of August, we get an 8 ft NNW swell, with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is a massive 953, which is very strong. But, and it's a big but, the wind is a strong breeze from the north, blowing cross-shore, creating a messy cross-chop. For a beginner break, 8 ft is too big for most, and the conditions will be sloppy. It's one for the experts only, and even then, it's not going to be pretty. The water temp is about average for the time of year, no anomalies to report.

So, to sum it up: there's no good surf on offer for the next 16 days. The wind is the enemy, and it's not letting up. It's a real shame because the region can produce, but this is just one of those blank runs. Keep your gear ready, the forecasts can change.

Rusty

Read more