Prainha do Farol Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Been looking at the charts for Prainha do Farol and it's a grim stretch ahead. The water's a frigid 59°F, a massive 6°F colder than normal for July—that's unheard of around here, so you'll need a thick wetsuit if you're even thinking about a paddle.

We've got a long dry spell coming up. From now until the morning of Wednesday July 22, it's basically all dud. No decent swell, and when there is a little bump, the wind's messing it up. You're looking at over a week of nothing worth mentioning.

The first faint glimmer shows up on Wednesday July 22 morning with a tiny 2ft SSW swell at 9 seconds. The wind is light and cross-off, so it's clean, but the energy is weak (93) and it's barely surfable. By the afternoon, it gets onshore and messy again.

Thursday July 23 morning might be your best shot in this whole bleak period. We get a 4ft SSE swell, but the period's a short 8 seconds so it'll be weak and crumbly. The good news is the wind goes glassy—dead calm. That means silky smooth conditions, which is a major bonus. The energy's moderate (180) but the waves just won't have any punch. Still, if you're desperate for a paddle, this is the cleanest window.

After that, it's back to junk. The swell tries to build through the weekend, but winds go onshore or cross-onshore, turning it into a washing machine. On Friday July 24 afternoon, we get a 5ft S swell with moderate energy (564), but it's cross-onshore and choppy—more for the kite crew than paddle surfing.

Now, here's a potential standout, but it's a full week away and you gotta be an expert. On Monday July 27 afternoon, a massive 10ft SSE groundswell hits, with a very long 15-second period. The energy is through the roof (3842). The wind is cross-off, so it'll be clean faces. But 10ft is way too big for this exposed beach break—experts only. The long period will make it wall up and break fast, so if you're not on your game, stay on the sand. This is the only day that scores highly on forecast quality.

Tuesday July 28 morning drops to a still-chunky 6ft SSE swell, also with a long 13-second period and light cross-off wind. Energy's strong (1147). It's still big, but more manageable for strong intermediates. The long period will have those clean, powerful lines, but at a beach break, it could be a bit straight and fast.

Honestly, the only true standouts here are those few days around July 27–28. Everything else is a write-off. For the beginner, it's a no-go through the whole period. Keep an eye on the forecasts though—it tends not to stay this poor for long.

Stay safe out there.
Rusty

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