Praia das Macas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – this outlook for our region is a tough one.

Look, I've scanned the next 16 days for Praia das Macas, and honestly, it's a bit of a write-off. The charts are showing us a persistent problem: a relentless cross-onshore wind that just won't let up. From the very start on Friday, July 31st, right through to the end of the second week, we're looking at a constant battle with moderate to fresh cross-onshore breezes, often from the NNW. This is going to chop up whatever swell is out there, making for messy, lumpy, and pretty much unsurfable conditions.

We start off on Friday the 31st with a tiny 1ft WNW swell, but with a 16 mph cross-shore wind, it's a no-go. The energy is weak (42). Saturday the 1st of August sees a bit more size, a 4ft NNW swell, but that same onshore wind (16 mph) just ruins it. The energy climbs to moderate (210), but it's all for nothing. Every single day through the first week is a repeat of this story: small to moderate swell (2ft to 6ft) but always with a chop-inducing cross-onshore wind.

The only real glimmer of hope is a brief window on the morning of Tuesday, August 4th. We get a clean offshore wind from the WNW at just 3 mph over a 3ft WNW swell. The period is 9 seconds, so it's got a bit of life to it, and the energy is moderate (138). This is the best it gets, but it's still a very small wave. A beginner might find a few fun, clean little crumbly waves, but it's a far cry from a proper standout.

After that, it's back to the same old story. The second week, from around August 9th into the 15th, actually sees some of the biggest swell of the period, with heights hitting 6ft and energy readings pushing into the strong range (over 300). But the onshore wind is just as strong, if not stronger, hitting 22 mph. For a beach break like Praia das Macas, a 6ft wave with a strong onshore wind is not a paddle surfer's friend. That setup is looking a lot more interesting for the kite surfers than for us.

There is no standout in this period. The one clean morning on the 4th is the only thing worth mentioning, but it's too small and isolated to get excited about. The water temp is sitting at 68°, which is about normal for this time of year, so at least a paddle won't be a shock. But the waves? Forget it. A blank run like this is pretty normal for the area when the wind gods are angry. Forecasts can change, but for now, it's a hard pass.

Rusty.

Read more