Praia das Macas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty comin' at you from the local coast. Let’s have a good, hard look at what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a grim stretch for paddle surfing. The only break we’ve got to look at is Praia das Macas, but the onshore winds just aren’t letting up. The water temp here is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there. The core issue is that the wind is locked in from the north and north-northwest, blowing straight across the swell or onshore, and that’s making a mess of things.

We start on Sunday, August 30th, with a 4ft swell from the northwest, but a cross-onshore wind at 15 mph already has it chopped up. The swell energy is moderate at 218, but it doesn’t matter much with the wind. That afternoon the swell bumps to 5ft and the wind picks up to 19 mph, making it even lumpier. Monday the 31st is the same story – wave heights around 4ft to 4ft, cross-shore and cross-onshore winds at a fresh 22 mph, producing lumpy, ugly conditions. The combined energy ticks up to 436 in the afternoon, but the quality is zero.

As we slide into Tuesday, September 1st, the swell pushes up to 6ft from the north-northwest, but the wind is still a fresh 22 mph cross-onshore, so you’re looking at lumpy, blown-out surf (energy around 565). Wednesday the 2nd drops back to 5ft, but winds are still moderate cross-onshore, and the period is a short 7-8 seconds – just weak, choppy waves. The entire first week is a write-off.

The only flicker of hope I see is on Sunday, September 6th. For the morning session, the wind drops to a light breeze at 6 mph, going cross-shore, and the swell is a 4ft from the northwest with a longer period of 11 seconds. The energy is moderate at 427. It’s the only time the forecast gives us a "marginal" rating instead of "poor". The afternoon has the wind going onshore again at 9 mph, so don’t sleep in if you want a chance. That morning window is the best in the first 10 days – but even then, it’s a gamble.

The second week gets a bit bigger, but no cleaner. By Tuesday, September 8th, we’re looking at 7ft waves in the afternoon, but with 16 mph cross-onshore winds, it’s just a washing machine. Then on Wednesday, September 9th, the swell hits 8ft from the north-northwest, and the combined energy skyrockets to 1153 – that’s strong wave energy, but the wind is a fresh 19-22 mph cross-shore and cross-onshore, creating lumpy, powerful, but completely unsurfable conditions. That size is expert-only anyway, and with that wind, it’s just dangerous.

For the rest of the second week, from September 10th through the 14th, we keep seeing 7ft to 7ft swells with moderate to fresh cross-onshore winds. Monday, September 14th, has a brief moment with a 4ft swell from the north-northwest and a very long period of 12 seconds, but the wind is still light cross-onshore. The energy is strong at 766, but the conditions are only marginal due to tide or wind issues.

Honestly, there are no standouts here. The only window worth paddling out is the morning of Sunday, September 6th, when the wind is light. For the rest of the 16 days, the combo of onshore wind and short-period, lumpy swell makes Praia das Macas a better spot for kite surfing than a surfboard. This is a long, tough run, but don’t let it get you down – forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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