Prainha do Farol Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s coming up for the next couple of weeks.

Alright, straight off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands. The surf comes in on Friday the 7th of August, but it’s a bit of a rough start. We’ve got a 7ft SSW swell rolling in at 8 seconds, but that southerly wind is howling at 19 mph right onshore, making it a lumpy, choppy mess at Prainha do Farol. Not worth paddle out, honestly. The water temp is sitting at 67°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year.

The early part of the weekend, Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th, is still a bit of a mixed bag. The swell size is hanging around 7ft to 8ft, coming from the S and SSW, with periods around 8 to 10 seconds. The wind is cross-offshore on Saturday, which keeps things a bit cleaner, but the wave quality is still just marginal. By Sunday, the cross-onshore winds are back making it choppy again. The energy in the water is moderate, with readings between 968 and 2299.

Now, hold onto your board. The real standout is going to be Tuesday the 11th of August. That morning, the wind swings to the west at just 3 mph, giving us a clean cross-offshore breeze. The swell is a solid 7ft from the south, with a 13-second period - that’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy readings are around 1510, which is moderate but punchy. This is an excellent window for experienced surfers. The break itself is inconsistent, so you’ll have to be patient, but the waves that do come through will be good. The afternoon is even better, with the wind dropping to glassy conditions. The swell stays at 7ft, still from the south, with a 12-second period. This is the best on offer, no question.

Wednesday the 12th continues the run of clean conditions with a light NNE breeze at 9 mph, keeping the cross-offshore wind. The swell drops a little, from 7ft in the morning to 6ft in the afternoon, but the period is still a nice 12 seconds. The morning is excellent, the afternoon is more marginal but still clean.

The following week, conditions start to fade. From Thursday the 13th through to the 19th, the swell drops and the wind becomes more onshore or cross-shore, making for mostly poor to marginal surf. The energy levels drop, with readings around 500 to 1000, down to just 72. The surf is small and weak.

Then, hold on to your hats. On Thursday the 20th of August, we’ve got a massive 15ft SSW swell predicted, with a period of 11 seconds and the wind is glassy. The combined energy is a massive 5071. That’s a lot of water moving. But, and this is a big but, the forecast says it’s too big for this break. This is a beginner spot, and anything over 8ft is for experts only. Friday the 21st is still a huge 10ft from the SSE, but again, it’s going to be a washing machine. After that, the swell drops back to 6ft by Saturday the 22nd.

So, to sum it up: the only real standout is Tuesday the 11th of August. Get out there early for the clean, cross-offshore winds and that 7ft south groundswell. It’s inconsistent, but it’s classic. The rest of the period is flat or blown out until the 20th, which is just too big for this spot.

Stay safe out there.

- Rusty

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