Praia das Macas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, gather ‘round. Rusty here, and I've been chewing on the charts for Praia das Macas. To be straight up, it's a rough stretch for the first half with nothing but washout conditions, but there are a couple of tiny windows you can chase.

For most of the first week, the wind is our enemy. From the 1st of September right through to the 9th, it's a steady cross-on or onshore breeze, often fresh and strong. The swell is mostly in the 3ft to 5ft range, but it's all short-period, wind-slop junk. The energy is moderate, with combined readings between 109 and over 1000 (430 to 1037). It's gonna be lumpy, choppy, and messy. Honestly, it looks more interesting for kite surfers than us paddle guys. Beginners should sit this entire stretch out. The water temp is 69°, which is about right for this time of year.

There's a brief blip of hope on Saturday morning, the 5th of September. It's a small session. We've got a 2-3ft swell from the WNW with a 9-second period, and the wind goes glassy. The combined energy is a weak 152, but that glassy wind is a treat. For a moment, it could be clean, small, and fun on a longboard. That's your only real flash of quality in the first week.

Things stay flat and messy right through until Sunday the 13th of September. The wind is stuck from the north, and the waves are either too small or too raw. Swells hover from 2ft to 5ft with short periods and the combined energy is moderate (112 to 580). It's not good.

Finally, the best bet of the whole 16-day stretch looks like the morning of Sunday the 13th of September. We get a 3-4ft swell from the NNW, with an 8-second period. The combined energy is 203. The key here is the wind: a light cross-offshore from the SSE, which should clean the faces up nicely. This is the standout. It's not big, but with light offshores at a consistent spot like Praia das Macas, it should offer some fun, clean lines. Crowds can be *sometimes* a thing here, so paddle out early.

Monday the 14th of September morning is another one to watch, with a 3-4ft swell from the WNW and a 10-second period, and a light cross-offshore wind from the south. The forecast calls it "marginal," so temper your expectations.

The very end of the run, on Wednesday morning the 16th of September, has a bigger 5-6ft swell from the NW with a long 12-second period, with a cross-shore wind. The combined energy is a strong 933. It has some power behind it, but that cross-shore wind will put a texture on the waves. For experienced surfers, this could offer the most size, but the quality is far from guaranteed.

So, the bottom line: the whole first week is a write-off until the second weekend. Your best chances are the mornings of the 13th and 14th, with that 3-4ft clean swell. The end of the run on the 16th has more size but less clean conditions. It's not a classic September, but there's a couple of sessions to be had.

Rusty.

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