Praia das Macas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and we’re taking a hard look at the next 16 days for Praia das Macas. Honestly, it’s a pretty grim run. The whole period is plagued by persistent northerly winds, mostly cross-onshore, which is going to chop up just about everything.

We do have a bit of a standout, but it’s a short-lived window. The best chance for a paddle comes on Saturday morning, September 5th. It’s the only time we see glassy conditions. The swell is a small 3 ft from the WNW with a period of 9 seconds. The combined wave energy is moderate at 121. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The water temp is sitting at 68°, which is about average for the time of year with a -1° anomaly.

For the rest of the first week, it’s a write-off. From Saturday afternoon through to Monday, September 7th, the wind is on it, and the swell jumps up to 4 ft to 5 ft from the NW with a period of 11 to 12 seconds. That NW direction is actually the optimum for this spot, but the wind is ruining it. The energy is moderate to strong (517 to 777) but it’s all messy, choppy, and lumpy. That 5 ft swell with the 12-second period would be a groundswell, but with the wind, it’s a no-go.

The second week is a long, drawn-out disappointment. There’s a gap of several days where the surf is consistently poor. The wind stays strong from the north, gusting up to 28 mph at times, keeping the waves lumpy and messy. The swell sticks around 3 ft to 4 ft from the WNW and NW, but the energy is moderate to strong (277 to 784). The 16-second period swell on Tuesday, September 15th is a very long period groundswell, but with 28 mph winds, it’s just a mess. It’s the kind of setup that looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The only other flicker of hope is right at the very end. Friday morning, September 18th, we get a brief clean window with a light cross-offshore breeze from the ENE and a tiny 2 ft swell from the NW. The energy is weak (99), but it’s clean. Then Saturday morning, September 19th, the wind drops to glassy again, but the swell is even smaller at 2 ft from the NW. It’s surfable but very weak.

Crowds are sometimes an issue here, but honestly, with this forecast, I don’t think you’ll have to worry about anyone else being out. The bottom line: if you’re desperate, get your dawn patrol on Saturday, September 5th, or the very end of the run. Otherwise, it’s a long wait for the next decent swell.

Rusty.

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