Praia do Norte Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve gotta be straight with you – this outlook for the next couple of weeks is a tough one. Every single swell window at Praia do Norte is tagged as “poor surf conditions,” so I can’t point you to any standout sessions. It’s a blank run, and for an exposed, advanced spot like this, that’s not unusual when the wind and swell just don’t line up. The good news is the consistency is there, so things can turn around quickly.

Kicking off Thursday the 9th of July, we’ve got a tiny 2ft swell from the WNW, but a moderate, cross-shore breeze from the NNW is messing it up. Combined energy is weak at 82, and it stays this way through Friday. The water is 67°, which is about average for the time of year.

Saturday the 11th sees a bit of a shift. The morning swell drops to 1ft, but the wind goes light and cross-on. By the afternoon, the wind actually turns onshore from the W, but the swell bumps up to 2ft with a period of 11 seconds – that’s a long period groundswell. The combined energy hits 122, which is the first sign of moderate energy. Still, the wind’s not doing us any favours.

Sunday the 12th through Tuesday the 14th is a mix of tiny swells and onshore winds. The best of this patch is Sunday morning, with a 3ft swell from the WNW and a light cross-on breeze from the SW. The energy is moderate at 164, but the wind is still on the wrong side of the spectrum.

Then we hit a bit of a lull. From Wednesday the 15th right through to Thursday the 23rd, every day is a cross, cross-on, or onshore wind, and the swell is either small or, when it does build, it’s short period. The only real spike in size comes on Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th, where the swell jumps to 5ft – 6ft from the NNW. But the period is a short 6 to 7 seconds, and the wind is a fresh cross-shore at 18–22 mph. Combined energy goes strong at 242 to 377, but with that wind and period, it’s going to be a lumpy, choppy mess – more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session.

The week starting Monday the 20th keeps that same theme: 6ft to 4ft swell, short period, and cross or cross-on winds. The last few days, Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th, see the energy drop to moderate (around 132–181) with a 3ft to 4ft swell from the NW, but the wind is still a fresh 15–22 mph cross-shore.

So, bottom line: there’s no day I’d call a standout. The closest thing to a window might be Sunday morning the 12th, but it’s still not clean. Keep an eye on the forecasts – things can change.

Rusty.

Read more