Praia das Macas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s coming our way for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a tough stretch ahead for wave hunting. We’re looking at a long, bleak run of poor conditions with hardly anything worth paddling out for. The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t show up until the 14th of September, so there’s a hefty gap of over a week where the surf is just not on. Don’t get too down about it – the forecasts can always shift, but as it stands, you’re better off tuning the boards for a while.

Praia das Macas is the only spot in the mix. For beginners, it’s usually a decent option, consistent and exposed to swell, but the wind is the villain here. For the first week, it’s a constant battle with cross-shore and cross-onshore breezes, and the wave quality is just poor. We get a little bump of energy around the 5th and 6th (Saturday and Sunday) with a groundswell from the NW, periods hitting 12 to 15 seconds, and combined energy climbing to 533, but it’s all written off by messy winds. The swell gets up to 4ft, which should be fine for learners, but it’s not clean.

Things actually size up a bit from Monday the 7th, with swell over 5ft hitting nearly 7ft by Tuesday morning – that’s getting too big for the beginners. The energy is strong, over 750 in the combined reading, but the wind is just relentless, fresh to strong onshore, making everything lumpy and messy. That’s more of a wind-surf or kite-surf setup, not a paddle session.

We finally get a break in the weather on Monday the 14th of September. Early morning, the wind swings around from the ESE at 9 mph, blowing offshore, and it’s clean. The swell is small, just 2ft from the WNW with a 9-second period, and the energy is moderate (130). It’s surfable, but ordinary. The real standout? Tuesday the 15th morning. Light wind from the SSE, clean conditions, 2ft swell but with that same moderate energy. For a dawn session on the longboard, it’s the best you’ll see. Water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing weird going on there.

So, the pick of a very poor bunch: Tuesday morning, 15th September, at Praia das Macas. Tiny waves but glassy clean – a true dawn-patrol special. The long-range look at the 16th and 17th shows a bigger pulse of swell (6ft to 7ft) with some decent energy (over 900), but it’s all onshore again. That’s a "watch and wait" situation, definitely not a lock.

Stay patient, lads. It’ll come good eventually.

Rusty.

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