Praia do Forte Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Praia do Forte has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, it’s a tough run. The first recommendation for a surf doesn’t kick in until Thursday, July 31st, and even then it’s a marginal call. The whole first week is plagued by messy, cross-shore winds that just won’t let the waves line up. There’s a big gap of several days with no solid recommendations right through the opening week, where everything is either too choppy or too lumpy with onshore slop. There’s a bit of wind swell, but the conditions are just ordinary.

The best we’ve got on the table is a standout that shows up later on Monday, August 10th, into that second week. It’s a late call, so we have to treat it as promising but less certain. On Monday afternoon, August 10th, we’re looking at a solid 7 ft swell from the south (S) with a very long period of 15 seconds. That is proper groundswell energy, and the combined swell energy is huge at 1942. That’s a lot of grunt. Now, wind is light from the Southeast at only 9 mph and onshore, but that’s a gentle breeze. For a spot like Praia do Forte that’s fairly exposed to swell, a long-period south swell can be good, but it’s a beach break setup, so those long lines might race through or break straight. Still, that’s the biggest, most powerful window on the charts, and with such light wind, it could be glassy and clean enough for a late session. The water’s sitting around 72°F with a tiny anomaly of 0.2°F, so it’s bang on average for the time of year. That’s not a talker.

Before that, there are a few moments where the wind goes clean – like Wednesday morning, August 5th, with a 6 ft swell from the ENE and a light W wind that’s cross-offshore, giving clean conditions. But that session only scores a 1 out of 10, so it’s surfable but very ordinary. Hard to get excited.

Early on, the crowds at Praia do Forte can be an issue – they’re noted as often busy, which is a shame because when it’s good, it’s a fun beginner wave. But for the first week, there’s nothing that’d make you want to fight for a peak.

In the middle of the second week, around Wednesday, August 12th, we get another close look at more south swell, 5 ft at 13 seconds, but the wind swings cross-onshore from the East at 16 mph, ruining the face. It’s a consistent pattern of almost-good that gets blown out.

So, the honest word is this: there’s one true standout that could be pretty special if it holds – that Monday, August 10th afternoon session with the big 7 ft south groundswell. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. Everything else is a decision made on the day, mostly flat or blown out. It tends not to stay poor forever around here, but a blank run like this is more normal for the area when the winds are stubborn. Keep your eyes peeled for that August 10th window.

Rusty.

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