Praia de Garopaba Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s coming for Praia de Garopaba over the next couple of weeks.

It’s a slow start, I won’t lie. The first few days, from Tuesday the 28th through to the end of the month, are pretty ordinary. The swell is tiny, with a weak combined energy of only 149 to 189, and while the wind cleans up now and then, the waves are just too small and gutless to get excited about. You’ll see some 2ft to 2ft S swell, but it’s not worth paddling out for. The water’s sitting at 66°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

We roll into August, and Saturday the 1st brings a messy, lumpy 4ft to 5ft ENE swell, but it’s short period (7 seconds) and the wind is howling onshore at 19 mph. That’s a kite day, not a surf day.

Sunday the 2nd and Monday the 3rd offer a bit of a reprieve with cleaner conditions, but we’re still looking at tiny 2ft to 3ft ENE swell with weak energy (77 to 111). Glassy mornings, but it’s really just a knee-high paddle.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Tuesday the 4th of August is our first real standout. The morning is glassy, with a building 3ft SSE groundswell (11 seconds) and a combined energy of 308. The wind is light and offshore in the afternoon, making for clean conditions. It’s not huge, but it’s the first proper surfable day in over a week.

But the real star of the show, the one you’ve been waiting for, is Wednesday the 5th of August. That morning, Praia de Garopaba is looking absolutely pristine. We’ve got a 6ft S swell, with a combined energy of 838, and the wind is glassy – dead flat calm. That’s chest-to-head-high, clean, and the swell is solid. This is the pick of the whole forecast. Afternoon turns a bit onshore, so get in early.

Thursday the 6th stays promising with a 4ft SSE swell, glassy morning, and a solid energy of 305. Good, clean, head-high waves.

Then we hit a bit of a lull again through the 7th and 8th, with messy wind and swell dropping off.

The second week really delivers though. Sunday the 9th of August afternoon sees a 4ft S swell (11 seconds) with clean cross-off winds and a combined energy of 411. That’s a good, solid session.

The real big boys show up Monday the 10th of August onwards. Monday morning has a 4ft S swell bumping up to 6ft in the afternoon, with strong energy (611 to 913). Clean cross-off winds. That’s getting into the expert zone in the afternoon.

Tuesday the 11th of August is for the experienced crew only. We’ve got a 5ft SSE groundswell with a very long 14-second period, and a massive combined energy of 1251. The wind is clean and offshore. This is powerful, lined-up swell. It’s a reef/point setup, so that long period will work a treat, but it’s too big for beginners.

The run continues into Wednesday the 12th of August with a glassy 6ft SSE swell, 14-second period, and a whopping 1347 energy. Again, that’s for experienced surfers only – it’s powerful, clean, and pumping. The afternoon gets a bit lumpy with a cross-shore wind, but the morning is a dream.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off. The best days are the morning of Wednesday the 5th for the best all-round conditions, and the 11th and 12th of August for the serious, experienced crew looking for some real power. Get on it.

- Rusty

Read more