Praia das Macas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, the Praia das Macas stretch is looking pretty messy. The first few days are a write-off, with Thursday starting us off with a fresh cross-onshore wind and lumpy conditions, a 8ft W swell, but with a short, gutless 7-second period. That's a washing machine, not surfable waves. The combined energy is only moderate at 573, and it just looks like a battle.

We’ve got a few days of this poor stuff to get through. Friday morning actually shows a flicker of hope with the wind going glassy and a bigger, cleaner 7ft WNW swell at 11 seconds. That boost in period brings the energy right up to a strong 1176, and the file says it’s excellent for experienced surfers. That’s the standout window early on, but it’s a brief one. The wind switches back onshore by the afternoon and we go straight back into the choppy stuff.

The following days through the end of August and the first few days of September are just a grind of onshore and cross-shore winds, with a dropping swell that hangs around the 4ft to 6ft range. It’s all short-period stuff and the energy just isn't there. This is a real dead patch, a solid week of poor options. The wind is just constantly putting a cap on any chance of clean surf.

We finally get a bit of a reprieve on the 5th of September. The swell has dropped right off to 4ft, but the wind goes light. It's still cross-on, so it's not perfect, but at least it's not a total washout. Then we get to Sunday the 6th of September. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. The wind drops out to glass early, that NW swell is still a solid 6ft with an 11-second period, and the energy is pumping at 794. The file is calling for "very good surf conditions" and I believe it. That’s our best day, no question.

After that, the week ahead looks like it's back to the same old story—winds picking up from the north, swells petering out and getting short-period again. There’s a little pulse on the 7th but it's marginal, a one-star at best. By the 8th and 9th, it’s just closing out with strong breezes and messy conditions. The energy drops from strong back to moderate and the whole thing just fades.

So, the long and short of it is: there’s one true gem on the 6th of September morning. It’s a bit too much push for beginners with that 6ft of swell, but for anyone else, that's the one to get out for. The rest is mostly a waiting game, and a week of onshores in the middle is a tough look. But that’s how it goes around here; it never stays flat for long.

Keep an eye on it, but be ready to move when that glassy morning shows up.

Rusty.

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