Balneario Sao Jose Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the menu at Balneario Sao Jose. This is a beach/pier setup, and it's exposed, so it grabs whatever swell is out there. The water’s running a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, about 70°, so you’re not going to need a thick suit.

Right now, it’s looking like a slow start. You’ve got some knee-to-waist high stuff coming from the south on Sunday the 23rd, but with a light cross-onshore wind, it’s pretty average. Not worth rushing out for. Monday the 24th gets a little more size – around 7 ft from the south – but again, the wind is messing it up with a cross-onshore and there’s some light rain. It’s a messy, marginal affair.

Tuesday the 25th is similar, with the wind shifting cross-shore. The swell is around 6 ft from the SSE, but the combo of a light cross-shore chop and mixed conditions means it’s not really coming together.

Now, here’s the standout window. You absolutely want to be in the water early on Wednesday morning, August 26th. The wind drops to glassy – absolutely glassy. The swell is a solid 4 ft from the SSE, but the period is a very long 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is strong at 1138, so there’s plenty of push. For a beach break, that long period can make waves break a bit straight, but with glassy conditions, it’s going to be clean and lined up for experienced surfers. That’s your best chance in this whole run.

Thursday the 27th sees the swell holding around 5 ft to 6 ft from the SSE, but the wind gets messy again – cross-shore in the morning, turning cross-onshore and choppy in the afternoon. It’s a step down.

Friday the 28th drops off quickly. By the morning, it’s down to 3 ft with a weak period, and the energy is low (373). The afternoon picks up a little to 5 ft from the ESE but the period is short (8 seconds), so it’s walled up and weak. Not great.

The weekend into early next week looks poor. From Saturday the 29th through to Tuesday September 1st, we’re looking at small, weak swell under 4 ft and a lot of onshore or cross-onshore winds. The energy drops to as low as 86 on Monday. It’s pretty much a flat, blown-out run. This place can go quiet, and this is one of those stretches.

Things try to pick up again on Wednesday September 2nd, with a new 6 ft southerly swell, but the wind is a moderate cross-onshore, so it’s going to be choppy and raw. Not recommended.

There’s a glimmer on Saturday, September 5th, about a week and a half out. Morning looks very promising: a clean 5 ft from the SSE, period of 12 seconds, and offshore winds from the NW. The combined energy is moderate at 526. That’s a solid, clean morning for a surf if you’re willing to wait on a long-range call. It’s less certain this far out, but the signs are good.

After that, it fades again into onshore slop through the 6th and 7th.

So to wrap it up: the one true standout is Wednesday morning, August 26th – glassy, long-period groundswell. The other hope is Saturday, September 5th, with clean offshore winds. Everything else is either small, windy, or both. Keep your eyes on that Wednesday glass-off.

Rusty.

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