Praia das Macas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, ol’ Rusty here. Let’s take a squiz at what we’ve got for Praia das Macas. We’ve got a solid pulse of swell arriving Friday morning, but the window to actually enjoy it is real narrow. That early peak gets hammered by the wind straight away, so the rest of the period is a bit of a write-off until we get another promising shot.

The opening act is Friday 28 August morning. Swell is up at a good 8 ft from the WNW with a period of 11 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell with decent energy. The combined energy is pumping in at a strong 1277. And the wind? Dead calm, glassy. For an exposed beach break, that’s about as clean as it gets. That’s the standout, no question. The optimum swell direction here is NW, and this WNW is close enough to do some damage. It’s a beginner-friendly break, but honestly, 8 ft is starting to get a bit much for learners. For the rest of us, Friday morning is the one to get on.

After that, the wind swings onshore or cross-shore and it just gets messy. Friday afternoon is cross-on, and from Saturday 29 August right through to Thursday 3 September, we’re looking at a long run of poor conditions. There’s swell, mostly from the NW and NNW, from 4 ft up to 7 ft, but it’s all blown out by fresh or moderate breezes. It’s a big stretch of nothing.

Then we hit a little lull. Friday 4 September morning drops right off to 1 ft. That’s tiny, even with a glassy surface – not worth paddling out for.

The next flicker of hope shows up on Saturday 5 September morning. Swell climbs back to 4 ft from the WNW, 11-second period, and the wind is a clean cross-offshore (SSE 3 mph). The combined energy is moderate at 436 and the conditions are clean. That’s your second-best window.

But for my money, the real standout after Friday is Sunday 6 September morning. It’s 4 ft from the NW with a longer 12-second period, combined energy of 526 (moderate to strong), and the wind is glassy again. That’s a morning of clean, lined-up groundswell at a break that doesn’t often get this tidy. However, after that morning, Sunday afternoon turns onshore again and it’s back to poor.

Monday 7 September onward through to the end of the outlook is mostly blown-out or too small, with only a few tiny windows of cleaner but very small surf. There’s a pulse around 12 September that’s over 3 ft and a fresh cross-shore, but it’s lumpy and not a call.

So, bottom line: if you’re keen, Friday 28 August morning is your absolute best bet. Clean glass, solid swell. Sunday 6 September morning is a close second for a more relaxed, cleaner session. The rest is a lot of waiting.

– Rusty

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