
Surf Forecasts:
Praia das Macas surf forecast from 7 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Friday 14 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 11s period, WNW swell with 222 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Praia das Macas this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Praia das Macas in the next 16 days are 1.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 14) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.1m 12s period and expected on Friday (Aug 07) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Praia das Macas over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, it’s Rusty. Let’s be straight with you— the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper surf. We’ve got a stretch of poor conditions that’s going to test your patience, with no real standouts until the back half of the run. There’s a gap of about a week with no good options, so don’t get too excited about the first few days.
Right now, on Friday the 7th, it’s cross-onshore with a moderate breeze at 12 mph, and the swell is only 2 ft from the NNW with a weak energy reading of 138. The surface is choppy and it’s just not doing anything. The water temp is a fairly normal 69°F, so nothing weird there.
Saturday the 8th drops off even more— 2 ft from the N, and the energy falls to 74. The wind is lighter, but it’s still cross-onshore and messy. Sunday the 9th is similar, around 3 ft, but the period’s short at 7 seconds, and the breeze is up again. There is nothing here worth paddling out for. Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th follow the same pattern— small, choppy, cross-onshore, all under 3 ft. The energy stays weak until Wednesday the 12th when it bumps to 180, but the wind is now a fresh 19 mph breeze and it’s lumpy. Still no good.
We keep pushing through the middle of next week, and Thursday the 14th sees the swell start to nudge up to 3 ft from the WNW, with a moderate energy reading of 358. But the wind is still 16 mph cross-onshore, so it’s messy. The first half of the 16-day window is a write-off.
Now, here’s the first tiny glimmer of hope, and it’s a long way off. On Saturday the 15th, the morning shows 4 ft from the NW with a period of 9 seconds and energy climbing to 484. The wind is light, 9 mph, and it’s cross-shore, which is the best we’ve seen. That morning gets a “marginal” nod— it’s not clean, but there could be a few okay ones if you’re desperate. The afternoon turns cross-onshore again.
Sunday the 16th follows a similar vibe: 5 ft from the NNW, period 8 seconds, and the morning wind is light at 6 mph and cross-shore. Energy is 341. Still marginal, but a slight step up. Yet, the period is short, so it’s not going to have much push. After this brief tease, it drops back to poor for the next few days. Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th are back to 4 ft and 3 ft with cross-onshore winds, and it’s choppy again. The energy falls away.
Then we hit the big one, a real anomaly in this flat spell. On Wednesday the 19th, the afternoon sees a sudden pulse to 5 ft from the WNW, with energy roaring to 431. But the wind is 12 mph onshore, and the guidance still calls it poor. That’s a frustrating one.
Thursday the 20th gets even bigger— 5 ft in the morning and 6 ft in the afternoon from the WNW, with energy jumping to between 311 and 468. But the wind is now fresh, at 19-22 mph, and it’s lumpy and cross-onshore. It’s not surfable for anyone; the conditions are just too rough. With that amount of wind and chop, this setup is looking more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
The grand finale on Friday the 21st is the undeniable standout, but it comes with a massive caveat. The morning swell jumps to 10 ft from the NNW with a period of 9 seconds and an extremely strong energy reading of 1241. That’s serious power. However, the wind is 19 mph cross-onshore, and the sea state is described as lumpy. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it's going to be a battle. 10 ft is well over the 8 ft mark, so this is only for the most experienced. The afternoon drops to 8 ft with energy at 922, but the wind stays fresh. It’s a raw, powerful swell, but the quality is blown out. If you’re a big-wave charger, this is the only window with real size. But for everyone else, it’s a skip.
Saturday the 22nd wraps it up with 7 ft in the morning, dropping to 7 ft in the afternoon, both from the NNW with energy in the 582-672 range. The wind is still strong, 16-19 mph, and it stays choppy.
So, there you have it. A whole lot of nothing for the first week, a marginal blip on Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th, and then a big, messy, expert-only pulse on Friday the 21st. That’s the only real standout, and it’s a wild one. Keep your expectations low, but check back— forecasts can change, and a run this flat doesn’t usually stick around forever.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Fri afternoon, min 19°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Mon morning, min 19°C on Mon night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | N 8 | W 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 12 | W 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | NNW 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
75 | 162 | 94 | 48 | 33 | 65 | 84 | 120 | 117 | 112 | 149 | 107 | 65 | 37 | 73 | 110 | 138 | 133 | 101 | 103 | 105 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 10:26PM2.18m | 11:09AM2.28m | 11:54PM2.25m | 12:27PM2.45m | 1:06AM2.41m | 1:29PM2.69m | 2:04AM2.59m | 2:22PM2.93m | 2:53AM2.75m | 3:10PM3.11m | 3:38AM2.85m | 3:53PM3.20m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 4:02PM0.80m | 4:41AM0.80m | 5:34PM0.73m | 6:05AM0.72m | 6:51PM0.53m | 7:12AM0.54m | 7:52PM0.30m | 8:07AM0.35m | 8:43PM0.09m | 8:54AM0.18m | 9:29PM-0.05m | 9:37AM0.07m | 10:11PM-0.10m | ||||||||
6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | |
— | 8:43 | — | — | 8:40 | — | — | 8:39 | — | — | 8:38 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:35 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 |
Feels °C | 19 | 20 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | W 9 | NNW 8 | N 8 | W 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | NW 10 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | W 11 | W 6 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 11 |
75 | 42 | 94 | 48 | 33 | 65 | 84 | 48 | 117 | 112 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 31 | 73 | 110 | 138 | 133 | 101 | 103 | 105 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | S 12 | W 9 | WNW 9 | NNW 8 | N 7 | NW 11 | N 6 | NW 10 | W 6 | S 12 | WNW 10 | NW 12 | NW 12 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | — | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | — | W 9 |
43 | 3 | 40 | 26 | 21 | 9 | 30 | 1 | 46 | 13 | 3 | 10 | 24 | 37 | 43 | 38 | — | 40 | 31 | — | 76 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | — | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | NNW 12 | N 7 | S 11 | S 11 | S 12 | — | NW 14 | W 6 | — | NW 8 | NW 7 | — | — | S 13 | — | — |
3 | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | — | 7 | 2 | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | 3 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 5 | NNW 9 | NNW 4 | — | WNW 2 | — | — | WNW 8 | N 6 | N 4 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NNW 4 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 |
20 | 162 | 8 | — | 1 | — | — | 120 | 1 | 7 | 149 | 107 | 65 | 37 | 35 | 30 | 37 | 51 | 39 | 84 | 98 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 109 | 968 | 16 | 58 | 425 | 16 | 14 | 377 | 14 | 14 | 426 | 14 | 14 | 420 | 15 | 14 | 439 | 15 | 14 | 203 | 15 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Lisboa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Portugal | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Praia das Macas Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Praia das Macas provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Praia das Macas can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Praia das Macas surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Praia das Macas) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Praia das Macas may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Praia das Macas is 9 km (6 miles) from Sintra. If you plan a holiday in Lisboa, look for hotels and other accommodation in Sintra. Sintra has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











