Praia das Macas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s cut through the noise and talk about what’s coming up for Praia das Macas over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the first several days are a write-off. We’ve got a bit of swell rolling in from the NNW, but it’s getting hammered by a strong cross-onshore wind. Saturday morning the 15th has 7ft of lumpy, short-period slop (8 seconds) and a fresh 19 mph cross-onshore breeze. The wave energy is moderate at best (517), but the conditions are just poor. That carries right through the weekend. Sunday the 16th morning is a little cleaner with a light cross-shore, but the swell is still a disorganised 7ft and the ride is marginal.

The only real window of opportunity in this whole outlook comes early in the week. Monday morning, August 17th is the standout. The wind swings around to a light 3 mph cross-offshore from the south, and the swell drops to a manageable 6ft from the NNW. The combined energy is still moderate (374), but the report says "clean" and called it "expect good surf conditions." That’s the session to target. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. For a beginner-friendly break like this, that clean, waist-to-chest high swell with light offshore wind is about as good as it gets. Just be aware that crowds are sometimes an issue here, so get there early.

Tuesday morning the 18th will also be clean with a cross-off breeze, but the swell is dropping to 4ft with less energy (237). It’ll be fun on a longboard, but not as punchy as Monday.

After that, the swell dies completely. From Wednesday the 19th through to the end of the week, we’re looking at tiny 2ft to 2ft waves with very weak energy (under 100). Not worth paddling out for.

Then, on Friday the 21st of August, the swell jumps back up to 8ft with a fresh 19 mph cross-onshore wind. That’s a combination that’s going to be a mess. The fetch is strong (energy over 1000), but the wind just ruins it. It stays like that, with onshore winds and lumpy conditions, right through the following weekend and into the next week. The swell sticks around 7ft to 8ft, but it’s all cross-onshore and choppy. Not for surfing – that’s kite-surfing weather if I’ve ever seen it.

By the end of the month, the swell tries to make a comeback on the 29th and 30th, but again, it’s getting slapped by a strong cross-onshore wind. The 30th morning has a more manageable cross-shore, but conditions are only marginal.

So, to sum it up: Monday morning, August 17th is your best bet by a long shot. A clean, fun-sized swell, light offshore wind, and a decent break for a beginner. The rest of the period is mostly blown out or flat. There’s a gap of nearly no surf from the 19th to the 21st, and then a long stretch of onshore junk.

Rusty out.

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