Prainha do Farol Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a coffee and listen up. This is a tough one to get excited about.

Right now, Prainha do Farol is the only game in town for the next 16 days, and it’s not lining up how we’d want for a proper paddle session. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, nothing weird happening there.

We kick things off Sunday morning, August 23rd. There’s a solid 7ft swell from the south with a long 12-second period – real groundswell energy. The combined energy is strong at 1587, so there’s power in the water. It’s clean with a light cross-off breeze, but the catch is this spot is inconsistent. It rarely turns on, and when it does, with a wave height this big, it’s for experienced surfers only. Expect some crowds since it’s a known spot. The afternoon turns choppy and onshore, so it’s a morning mission or nothing.

Monday August 24th morning is the real standout here. The swell jumps to 10ft from the south with a long 14-second period – massive groundswell. The combined energy is very strong at 3663. The wind is clean cross-off and the conditions are glassy. But here's the thing: at this size, it’s too big for beginners; this is expert territory only. It’s the best window we’ve got by far.

Tuesday August 25th morning drops back to 7ft from the south, still decent period at 12 seconds, and clean cross-off winds. The energy drops to 1466. It’s manageable, but the swell is still solid and the break remains inconsistent. Tuesday afternoon gets crossed up and lumpy.

From Wednesday August 27th onward, the size drops. Thursday morning gives us 5ft from the SSE with a 13-second period and clean winds, but the energy is weak at 781 and the conditions are only marginal.

Then we hit a major dry spell. From Friday August 28th all the way through to Saturday September 6th, the swell collapses. You’re looking at tiny waves from 0.3ft to maybe 4ft, mostly choppy onshores or small windswell with poor quality. There’s a brief moment Friday August 28th afternoon where it goes glassy, but with only 2ft and weak energy at 66, it’s barely surfable.

The last flicker of hope is the morning of Monday September 7th with a tiny 3ft from the SW and clean offshores, but it’s weak and unlikely to hold. A couple of days in early September see onshore junk and onshore wind, this setup actually looks more interesting for kiteboarding than paddling.

So the takeaway: If you’re an expert and you can make Monday August 24th morning at dawn, that’s your window. Everything after that is a waiting game.

Rusty.

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