Prainha Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look what’s coming our way for the next couple of weeks.

The forecast starts quiet. For the first nine days, it’s pretty flat or messy. There’s a few tiny waves with poor conditions, not worth getting wet for. So we’re looking at a solid week-plus of very little action, with a big gap of nothing worth recommending until Monday, 10 August and Tuesday, 11 August, when things finally start to show signs of life. The real standout is shaping up for Friday, 14 August.

Most of the run-up has weak, short-period wind swell from the east with combined wave energy often under 100 (we’re talking numbers like 55, 79, 62 – that’s very low energy surf). Winds are mostly onshore or cross, and the waves are small and messy.

Now, for the two days that are the pick of the litter. Monday, 10 August afternoon, Prainha gets a pulse of south-southeast swell pushing 6 ft at 8 seconds. The wind goes light southwesterly cross-offshore, so the ocean cleans right up. Combined energy jumps to 348 (moderate) – finally some push. It’s an exposed spot and the swell direction isn’t ideal for the optimum south, but for this period it’s the best we’ve got. Tuesday, 11 August morning is glassy with southwest wind, same size 6 ft from the south-southeast, energy up to 385. Again, clean conditions. These two sessions are the only real window for a surf. Not huge, but clean and surfable.

Then, the real highlight. Friday, 14 August morning. Prainha is looking at a solid south-southeast groundswell, 6 ft with a very long 14-second period. That’s proper energy. Combined energy hits 1463 (strong). Offshore southwest wind at 12 mph keeps it clean, though that’s a moderate breeze. This is the only session with excellent conditions noted for experienced surfers. This is a proper swell, but that long period can make beach breaks close out or get straight. Prainha is a beach setup, so it might be a bit tricky, but when it’s on, it’ll have some grunt. The water temperature is 66°, which is 1° above the norm – pretty average for this time of year. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.

After that, the surf fades again into smaller, shorter-period leftovers. A bit of swell on 16 August from the east, but period is a poor 5 seconds and the wind is cross-on – not much to write home about.

Overall, the start is dead, the middle gives a couple of clean days, and one morning on 14 August is the real standout. Get on it if you can.

Rusty

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