Prainha do Farol Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Look, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it – the next few weeks at Prainha do Farol are lookin' pretty grim for a proper paddle. There's a whole lot of flat and messy days ahead, so patience is the name of the game. The water's sittin' at 60°F, which is a whopping 6°F colder than normal for this time of year, so you'll be wantin' a thick steamer.

We kick off Friday the 17th with tiny 1ft ESE swell and a stiff 22 mph cross-off wind. It's clean, but there's no energy (70 combined). The weekend is just as bad – Saturday and Sunday are all 0.7ft to 1.0ft S swell with moderate to fresh cross-off breezes. Just not worth wetting a suit.

Monday the 20th is flat as a tack, with a combined energy of only 9. Then Tuesday the 21st finally shows a pulse – 3ft SSW swell, 10-second period, and glassy conditions both morning and afternoon. The energy climbs to 128 – still weak, but it's the first time there's somethin' to push against. The comment says "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions," so temper your expectations.

Wednesday the 22nd sees a jump in size to 4-5ft from the S, but with a short 8-second period and moderate cross-off wind, the quality is marginal. Thursday the 23rd is cross-on with rain – not your friend. Then Friday the 24th is the first real standout. A 3ft S swell with 10-second period turns into a 5ft SSW pulse by the afternoon. Morning wind is light cross-off, but the afternoon turns glassy. Combined energy hits 331 then 305 – moderate – and the forecast says "expect good surf conditions." That Friday arvo is the pick of the first week, especially if you can sneak out for a glassy session on that 5ft SSW swell.

Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th are messy again – fresh cross-shore winds and short-period chop, despite some size on Sunday (5ft S, 678 energy). That's a lot of wave energy, but with moderate cross-shore wind and a 11-second period, it's gonna be lumpy. Monday the 27th is cross-shore and average.

Now, the second week finally delivers. Tuesday the 28th of July is the absolute standout of the whole outlook. Morning brings a 4ft SSE swell, 13-second period, light cross-off wind, clean, and 457 combined energy. "Expect good surf conditions." The afternoon gets even better – 3ft S, 12 seconds, still clean, and 525 energy, with "expect very good surf conditions." That Tuesday arvo is your golden window. Light wind, clean, a proper groundswell line – it's gonna be worth the wait.

Wednesday the 29th turns ugly again with a messy cross-shore and strong winds. But Thursday the 30th morning is another quality window – 6ft SSE, 9-second period, light cross-off, clean, and 589 moderate energy. That's the biggest clean swell of the outlook, but be aware: 6ft is getting into expert territory, and it's a beach break setup so that longer-period (9 sec here) groundswell can break a bit straight. The afternoon fades with a strong cross-shore. Friday the 31st and Saturday the 1st of August are back to tiny, clean but weak.

So, to wrap it up: the first few days are a write-off. The best bets are Friday the 24th afternoon for a glassy 5ft session, and then absolutely circle Tuesday the 28th afternoon – that's the one with the best combo of clean conditions, solid swell, and real energy. It's a long-range call but lookin' promising.

Rusty out.

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