Surf Forecasts:
Prainha surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 22 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 10s period, SSE swell with 727 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s period with E swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Prainha this week:
The surf forecast for Prainha over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 4s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Prainha in the next 16 days are 2.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 8s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (-03) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Prainha over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here. Alright, let's have a look at what the next couple of weeks are shaping up like for Prainha. I'll be straight with you – it's a bit of a sad story, to be honest. This is an advanced wave, and it's consistent, but we're looking at a long dry spell before anything even gets close to being worth a paddle. The water's about average for this time of year.
The forecast kicks off on Thursday the 20th of August, but don't get excited. Thursday morning sees a tiny 2.3ft easterly swell with a short 7-second period and weak energy (59). The wind is glassy though, so while conditions are clean, there's just nothing to ride. From Thursday afternoon, it all goes pear-shaped with onshore breezes and waves dropping even further. Friday the 21st is a total write-off with a 0.3ft swell. The weekend? More of the same. Saturday the 22nd has a small SE swell around 2.6ft with a 10-second period, but it's choppy with cross-onshore winds. The energy finally climbs a bit, hitting 124, but the quality is poor. Sunday the 23rd is similar. Honestly, we're looking at day after day of nothing worth getting wet for.
Now, there’s a bit of a glimmer on Monday the 24th of August. Monday afternoon, a proper SE groundswell starts to push in. We're looking at 3.3ft with a long 16-second period and moderate energy (499). The wind goes glassy, which is a major positive, meaning clean conditions. This is the standout of the whole period. It's not big, but for a wave that needs that SE direction to work, it's the best shot we get. That long period will be lining up nicely here.
Through the rest of that week, it stays small. Tuesday the 25th is okay but ordinary. Wednesday the 26th has another glassy morning with a 2.0ft SE swell and a long 16-second period (238 energy). Clean, but tiny. Thursday the 27th is similar – glassy morning, small 2.3ft swell.
Then we hit another rough patch. From Friday the 28th of August through to the end of the month and into September, the wind gets messy. It stays cross-shore or onshore, and while the swell bumps up a bit, the conditions are consistently poor. The waves get a bit bigger into September – we see 3.3ft to 4.3ft SE swells – but the period drops to a short 6 to 8 seconds and it's all crossed-up and lumpy with moderate to fresh breezes. It's messy, choppy, and not the kind of Prainha we want.
So, to put it simply: the only real window to look at is Monday afternoon the 24th of August. After that, it's a long stretch of poor to marginal conditions with onshore slop. Keep an eye on the charts, but for now, this run looks pretty bleak.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Warm (max 22°C on Fri afternoon, min 15°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | ||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | SE 5 | E 11 | E 7 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 12 | SE 13 | SE 14 | SE 14 | SE 16 | SE 15 | SE 14 | SE 13 | SE 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
42 | 54 | 39 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 727 | 124 | 102 | 25 | 37 | 109 | 147 | 289 | 498 | 305 | 192 | 144 | 106 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | glassy | glassy | off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 8:16AM0.89m | 3:35PM0.79m | 8:15PM0.78m | 4:21AM0.59m | 3:08PM0.78m | 9:53PM0.78m | 11:24AM0.96m | 11:16PM0.86m | 12:24PM1.07m | 00:13AM0.98m | 1:05PM1.18m | 00:56AM1.11m | 1:41PM1.28m | 1:33AM1.23m | |||||
Low Tide | 11:50PM0.37m | 12:09PM0.63m | 6:01PM0.74m | 5:01AM0.59m | 1:12PM0.76m | 6:41PM0.65m | 6:06AM0.46m | 7:09PM0.56m | 6:44AM0.34m | 7:33PM0.48m | 7:14AM0.23m | 7:53PM0.42m | 7:40AM0.13m | 8:09PM0.38m | |||||
— | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 |
Feels °C | 20 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 7 | E 7 | SE 5 | SE 10 | ENE 8 | SE 5 | SE 12 | E 7 | SE 14 | SE 14 | SE 16 | SE 15 | SE 14 | SE 13 | SE 13 |
42 | 54 | 39 | 26 | 16 | 15 | 30 | 124 | 23 | 11 | 37 | 4 | 147 | 289 | 498 | 305 | 192 | 144 | 106 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | E 12 | SE 5 | SE 5 | S 6 | SSW 3 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | SE 10 | SE 5 | ENE 7 | E 7 | SE 4 | E 7 | E 4 | ENE 4 | ENE 4 | ENE 5 |
17 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 44 | 33 | 54 | 25 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | S 11 | E 12 | E 12 | E 11 | S 8 | SE 11 | — | — | ENE 8 | E 7 | — | — | E 7 | — | E 6 | E 6 | — | SE 16 |
3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 55 | — | — | 12 | 4 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 42 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | SW 3 | — | SSE 10 | — | SE 10 | — | — | SE 13 | SE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 5 |
— | — | — | — | 5 | — | 727 | — | 102 | — | — | 109 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 690 | 33 | 40 | 74 | 52 | 91 | 182 | 52 | 52 | 235 | 61 | 61 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Catarina - Norte | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Brazil | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Prainha Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Prainha provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Prainha can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Prainha surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Prainha) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Prainha may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Prainha is 14 km (9 miles) from Sao Francisco do Sul. If you plan a holiday in Santa Catarina - Norte, look for hotels and other accommodation in Sao Francisco do Sul. Sao Francisco do Sul has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











