Prainha Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a good look at what’s lining up for Prainha over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you: this is a rough stretch. The overall pattern is one of tiny, weak, and mostly messy surf. The wave energy is just lacking, and with only one standout window of truly clean conditions, we are looking at a whole lot of waiting around. There’s a big gap with nothing worth paddling out for, so don’t get your hopes up too high.

We kick things off on Monday morning, the 27th of July. It’s the best we’re going to see for a long while. Prainha has tiny 2ft swell pushing in from the ESE with a short, weak period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is a paltry 50, so it’s weak. What makes it worth a mention is the glassy conditions—wind is from the WSW at a mere 3 mph. That’s rare, and it’ll make the water look like a mirror. Water temp is sitting at 67°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a small bonus. It’s surfable but very ordinary, so don't expect much. The rest of that day and all of Tuesday are a write-off with onshore winds and even smaller surf.

From Wednesday the 29th all the way through to Monday the 11th of August, we are looking at a massive stretch of poor surf. Most mornings and afternoons show tiny waves under 3ft, often with poor, onshore, or cross-onshore winds. The combined swell energy is almost always below 100, so weak is the name of the game. A few mornings, like Thursday the 30th of July, are clean but the swell is only 1ft with a ridiculously short 5-second period. There’s a brief uptick on Sunday the 2nd of August with 3ft swell from the east, but again, onshore winds ruin it.

Now, there is a curious little event on Thursday morning, the 6th of August. The wind goes totally calm, glassy as can be. The swell is only 1ft but the period stretches to 10 seconds, giving a little more shape. Combined energy is 69, still weak. For a split second there, it might be worth a look if you are desperate. The following Friday morning, the 7th of August, actually sees combined energy hit 121, which is moderate wave energy for the first time, with a 2ft swell from the south at 9 seconds, but the wind is a messy cross-shore. That’s the highest energy we see, but the conditions aren’t there.

By Saturday the 8th of August morning, we get glassy winds from the WNW at 3 mph, with a 1ft swell from the SE at a long 12-second period. That’s a long-period groundswell, but it’s tiny. That same glassy window pops up again on the 9th and 10th of August mornings, each time with a 2ft and 2ft east swell, but the energy is low and the wave height just isn’t there to offer anything more than a wobbly ride on a longboard. The breakout is only ever ‘surfable but very ordinary’ on those glassy windows.

For advanced surfers, there is literally nothing here that’s going to get the heart pumping. The water is a touch warmer than normal, but that’s about the only positive. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing given the weak swell and cross-shore winds on many afternoons. We’re looking at a blank run that’s pretty normal for this area when the weather patterns settle in. Forecasts can change, but right now, keep the board in the bag.

Rusty.

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