Praia do Pinho Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s cut through the noise and talk about the surf coming up for Praia do Pinho. It’s a bit of a mixed bag for the next couple of weeks, so we gotta be patient.

We start off this Thursday, August 6th, with small, weak waves. The morning shows a little 2ft swell from the ENE with a short 7-second period, so it’s pretty gutless with combined energy of only 79. There’s a light cross-offshore breeze which keeps it clean, but honestly, it’s just ordinary. The water is sitting at 67°, which is about average for this time of year, nothing wild. The afternoon turns a bit messy with a cross-shore wind, making it poor.

Friday morning, August 7th, is a little better. Swell bumps up slightly to 3ft from the same ENE direction, period stretches to 8 seconds, and the energy jumps to 95. Still small, but the light WNW cross-off wind keeps things tidy. It’s surfable, but don’t expect any fireworks. The afternoon gets ugly with a strong SE wind.

Now, we hit a bit of a shift on Saturday, August 8th. The morning is a washout with a small SE swell, but the afternoon shows some promise. We’ve got a 2ft swell from the SE with a long 14-second period (groundswell), and the energy reads 268. The wind goes light and cross-off, making it clean. These longer period swells can be a bit tricky at a beach break, but for the size, it’s a decent little window.

Sunday, August 9th, is a write-off. Strong SSE winds, lumpy conditions, and a 4ft cross-shore mess. Avoid it.

The first real standout comes mid-week. Wednesday, August 12th, is the pick of the first week. We’ve got clean conditions all day. The morning has a 3ft swell from the SE, 13-second period, with a light S wind cross-off. The energy is solid at 323. The afternoon is even better, with the swell building to 4ft, same direction, and a glassy 5 km/h wind. The energy climbs to 358. This is the best window for a proper surf. The water is still about average temp, but the waves will have some punch and shape.

After that, we drop back into the ordinary zone for a few days. Thursday, August 13th, offers a tiny 2ft swell, though the afternoon goes dead glassy calm (0 wind). It’s pretty but small. Friday, August 14th, has a bigger 3ft swell with a 14-second period, but the wind is up and conditions are marginal.

Then we get another big moment. Saturday, August 15th, morning is a standout for the more experienced crew. The swell jumps to 6ft from the ESE, but the period is a short 7 seconds. The energy is massive at 613. This is a powerful, dumpy wave. With a light S wind, it’ll be clean, but at this size, it’s for experts only. The afternoon turns onshore and messy.

Sunday, August 16th, through Monday, August 17th, sees the swell staying solid at 5ft to 7ft from the E, but the wind is onshore or cross-onshore all day. The energy is through the roof (up to 806), but it’s a choppy, windy mess. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The run continues with poor conditions through Tuesday, August 18th. Then we get a final, beautiful window. Wednesday, August 19th, morning is a treat. The swell drops to a clean 4ft from the E, 9-second period, with energy at 239. The wind is completely glassy – 0 km/h. It’s dead calm, clean, and fun. A great session for intermediate surfers. The afternoon stays glassy but a bit smaller.

The last couple of days, August 20th and 21st, fade back to small, weak swell with onshore winds. Not much to write home about.

So, to sum it up: the best of the best is Wednesday, August 12th for a clean, solid chest-high swell, and Wednesday, August 19th morning for a glassy, fun size. The big swell on the 15th is for the chargers only.

Stay stoked, and be patient. The good ones are worth the wait.

Rusty.

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