Praia das Macas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve scanned the charts for the next 16 days, and I’ve got to be straight with you – it’s a rough stretch for Praia das Macas. The whole period is a write-off for decent surf; the conditions are just plain hostile. There’s nothing to recommend, not a single window where it all comes together. You’re looking at a solid 16-day blank run. It’s a tough one for this area, but sometimes the ocean just doesn’t play ball. Forecasts can always flip, so don’t bin your boards just yet.

Right now, and for the entire run, the wind is the enemy. It’s relentless, from the north and northwest, mostly cross-onshore and strong, gusting up to 22 mph, tearing the surface to bits. Out of the gate on Sunday the 30th, there’s a NW swell around 4 ft with a short 8-second period, but it’s blown out with a fresh cross-onshore wind and choppy as all hell. The combined energy reading is a moderate 218, but with that wind, it’s just ugly. That trend just keeps going.

On Monday the 1st of September, the swell pushes up to 6 ft from the NNW, period hanging around 9-10 seconds, and the combined energy climbs to 695, then 565. That’s a decent amount of power in the water, but you won’t see a single clean face. The wind is still fresh cross-onshore at 22 mph. For a beginner spot, that 6 ft is already touchy, and in these conditions, it's a mess.

As we roll into the second week, the swell drops off, but the wind stays stubborn. By Sunday the 6th of September morning, the wind eases to a gentle 9 mph from the north, cross-shore. The swell is 5 ft from the NW with an 11-second period and combined energy of 498 – that’s the closest we get to anything promising. The file even calls it ‘marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions’. It’s a tease, but given the weeks prior, it’s still not good enough to call a go. The afternoon immediately gets blown out again. The rest of the week is more of the same: onshore winds, lumpy, choppy, and poor.

Heading into the second weekend, the 12th and 13th, the wind actually swings around to the SSW and WSW, but it’s still cross-onshore with rain showers. The swell drops to under 3 ft from the WNW, with combined energy falling below 100 – weak and gutless. The water temp is 68°, which is normal for the time of year. So, nothing to see here. Save your energy and wait for the next pattern shift.

Rusty.

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