Prainha Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, mate, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what’s coming up on the coast.

Honestly, the next couple of weeks are looking pretty flat and ordinary. There's a real gap at the start with nothing worthwhile, and it’s going to be a slow grind to find any kind of decent wave. We’re talking almost a week of pretty poor conditions before anything even hints at being surfable. The swell energy is just not showing up as anything special, mostly weak to moderate at best, so don’t get your hopes up.

We start off on Wednesday the 2nd of September with a tiny 4ft SE swell at Prainha, but it’s coming in from the wrong angle with a messy cross-onshore wind. The combined energy is just 317 (moderate), but the chop is ruining it. The water is a touch warmer than normal at 69°, about 3° above the average for this time of year, so you won't need a thick wetsuit, but you will need patience. Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th are more of the same – small, weak swells and junky winds. Not worth paddling out.

Saturday the 5th sees a tiny 2ft E swell with a short 8-second period and moderate cross-shore winds. Still no good. The swell energy is only 103 (weak). By Sunday afternoon the 6th, the conditions clean up a little with a light S breeze, but the swell is microscopic at 2ft and the period is a weak 7 seconds with a combined energy of just 50 (weak). The report says “surfable waves but very ordinary”, which is being kind.

Monday the 7th afternoon shows a bump to 5ft from the SSE with an 8-second period and a combined energy of 372 (moderate). It’s got more push, but the wind is light and cross, leaving a few ripples on the face. It’s labelled as “marginal”. If you’re desperate, you might find a close-out close to shore. Tuesday the 8th is back to tiny and clean but weak.

Okay, so the only window that even sniffs at being interesting is Thursday the 10th in the afternoon. We get a 4ft E swell with an 8-second period and, crucially, glassy conditions. The combined energy is 203 (moderate), and the forecast literally says “expect good surf conditions”. The wind is dead flat. This is the standout, but it’s a small window and the swell direction is not ideal for Prainha as the optimum is from the S. Still, clean 4ft waves are better than the rest of the slop.

From there, it trails off again. Friday the 11th morning is clean but smaller at 3ft, and by the afternoon the wind picks up to 16 mph. After that, the swell drops right off into weak, tiny dribble for the rest of the second week. The 17th of September sees a pulse of 5ft SE swell but it’s onshore and messy. Don’t book time off work.

Best Bet: If you have to go, keep an eye on Thursday afternoon the 10th. It’s not a classic, but with the wind going glassy, it will be the cleanest and most user-friendly wave of the whole run. Just get it before the wind swings again.

Rusty.

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