Praia das Macas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

First off, I gotta be straight with you – the next two weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper surf. There’s a long stretch of really ordinary conditions, and for most of the time, the wind is just relentless out of the north. It’s a tough run.

The only spot we’ve got to look at is Praia das Macas. It’s a beginner-friendly beach break that’s consistent and exposed to the northwest.

Right now, starting Tuesday the 1st, we’ve got a fresh 19 mph cross-onshore breeze that’s just ruining things. The swell is there, around 4 ft from the NW with a period of 9 seconds, but the wave energy is weak (354) and the conditions are lumpy and poor. That afternoon, the swell bumps up to 6 ft but the wind is still howling. It’s a no-go.

Wednesday the 2nd isn’t much better. Swell drops a bit to 5 ft from the NNW, but the wind is still a messy 16 mph cross-shore and cross-onshore, creating a chop. The energy is moderate (295 and 232).

Thursday the 3rd sees a smaller swell of 4 ft, period dropping to 7 seconds, with a gentler 9 mph cross-shore wind. The energy is weak (126). Still pretty poor. The afternoon is even smaller.

Friday the 4th, the swell drops right off to 2 ft. The wind finally goes cross-offshore from the NE at 12 mph, which cleans things up, but there’s barely any energy (93). It’s a clean, tiny wave. Not worth the paddle.

Saturday the 5th is the first day that’s *surfable*. The morning has a light 6 mph cross-offshore breeze from the ENE, and the swell is 3 ft from the WNW with a 9-second period. The combined energy is 122 – still weak, but it’s clean. The waves are very ordinary and small, but if you’re desperate for a longboard or a foamy, this is your window. The afternoon gets choppy again.

After that, it’s back to the wind tunnel. Sunday the 6th has a 3 ft swell from the NW with a 12-second period, which is a nice long period groundswell. The energy is moderate (323) and the morning has a light cross-on, but it’s a marginal call. The afternoon is blown out.

From Monday the 7th all the way through to Wednesday the 16th, it’s the same story: persistent north winds, bumpy surf, and the forecast is just poor. The swell does get bigger around the 11th and 12th, hitting 8 ft from the NNW, but with a messy cross-shore and cross-onshore wind, this is going to be a choppy, blown-out mess. The energy is strong (941 and 1010), but the quality is zero. For a beginner spot like this, 8 ft is already too big for most, and with that wind, it’s just a washing machine. The 12-second period swell on the 14th is a tease, but again, the wind ruins it.

Given the persistent wind and the beach break setup, the bigger days on the 11th and 12th look more like a kite surfer’s playground than a paddle surfer’s dream.

The Standout: Honestly, the only real window is the morning of Saturday, September 5th. It’s not going to be epic, but it’s the cleanest and most surfable we’ll see. The 3 ft swell from the WNW is small, but the light cross-offshore wind will make it clean. It’s a beginner-friendly size, so grab the longboard and get out early. The crowds are possible. It’s the best of a bad lot.

The water temp is sitting at 69°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

No use sugar-coating it, the next two weeks are a write-off. But it never stays poor for long around here – forecasts can change. Keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

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