Praia das Macas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag, but there are a couple of windows where it’s gonna be worth paddling out at Praia das Macas. The surf is gonna be on offer right from Wednesday, but you’re gonna have to be patient through the first stretch of it.

The early part of the forecast, starting Wednesday the 9th, is pretty scrappy. We’ve got a northwest swell filling in, but the wind is gonna be all over it – mostly cross-onshore and lumpy. The swell energy is moderate at best, starting around 311 and building to 574 by Thursday, but it’s not going to do you any favors with that wind. Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th are still locked into that cross-onshore flow, with the swell hovering around 5.9ft and then dropping back. The period is short, around 7-8 seconds, which just adds to the mess. You’re looking at a few days of chop with not a lot of hope.

Saturday the 12th sees the wind ease off a touch, but it’s a cross-shore breeze and the swell has faded to under 3ft, with a weak energy reading of 123. It’s small and crumbly, not doing much. We’ve got a few days of this poor quality stuff to get through.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Come Sunday morning, the 13th, the wind finally plays ball – we get a light offshore breeze out of the southeast, and that swell, though only 3ft, has a proper long period of 13 seconds. The energy is still moderate at 389, but that clean, lined-up feel should be there. It’s still not big, but the glassy conditions are a massive plus. This carries into Monday the 14th, which honestly looks like one of the better windows early on. We’ve got a dead glassy morning with a 3.6ft NW swell and a period of 11 seconds. It's clean, it’s super light, and the water temp is sitting at 66.4°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year – 2.7° cooler – so you might want a slightly thicker suit.

After that little clean window, we slide back into the onshore slop from Tuesday the 15th through to the weekend of the 20th. The swell drops right off, the wind gets messy again, and we’re back to poor conditions with moderate cross-onshore breezes.

But hold on, because the real standout for this whole stretch looks like it’s brewing for a week from Monday. On Monday the 21st, the swell jumps up to a solid 8.2ft with a moderate energy reading of 1092. The wind is cross, but the size is there. However, with the period dropping to 9 seconds, it’s a bit of a raw power swell. That sets the table for Tuesday the 22nd, which is the big one. The forecast is calling for a hefty 9.8ft of northwest swell, with a strong energy reading of 1544. This is expert territory, way overhead and powerful. The light cross-shore wind is favorable, but honestly, the size is the headline. This is the standout push of the period.

The morning after, Wednesday the 23rd, looks like the smart play. The swell eases to a still-chunky 6.2ft, the wind goes glassy out of the NNE, and the forecast is calling for very good surf. The energy is still strong at 599. After that, we’re looking at Thursday the 24th with a long-period NW swell at 5.6ft, but it gets a bit more cross-on again. That Tuesday big-wave window and the glassy Wednesday morning are the two dates to circle. The long-range stuff is promising but less certain, so keep an eye on it.

Beach breaks here might see those long-period swells (11+ seconds) breaking a bit straight, so if you can find a sandbar that’s holding, you’ll be in for a treat.

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