
Surf Forecasts:
Prainha surf forecast from 5 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 7s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 15s period, SE swell with 280 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 6 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 7s 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 06) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Prainha in the next 16 days are 0.8m 15s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 8s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 08) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (-03) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Sat 8th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Prainha over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s brewing at Prainha. I’ll level with you—the first week or so is pretty flat and ordinary, but there are a couple of windows later that might get your hopes up.
The water temp is around 68°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year—nothing crazy, but you’ll feel it’s a bit more comfortable than typical August.
From Wednesday the 5th through the weekend, we’re looking at tiny surf—2ft to 3ft from the east and southeast, mostly with short periods under 8 seconds. Winds are all over the shop—cross, cross-on, and some moderate breezes making things choppy. The combined swell energy is weak, ranging from 53 to 168 (weak to low moderate). Not worth paddling out for. There’s a couple of glassy windows Thursday the 6th morning and Friday the 7th morning, but the swell is just too small to do anything with.
Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th stay small—2ft to 3ft from the southeast—but the conditions clean up under cross-off winds. Energy bumps to 106 to 171 (low moderate), but it’s still very average. Wednesday the 12th is similar: clean, light winds, but only 2ft of southeast swell and energy around 148 (low moderate). Surfable, but nothing to get excited about.
Now, Thursday the 13th morning is where it gets interesting. We’ve got 5ft of east swell with a short 7-second period, but the winds go glassy and the combined energy jumps to 316 (moderate). The forecast says “expect good surf conditions.” That’s your standout session—clean, glassy, and the swell is big enough to get some fun waves. Just know the short period means it’ll be a bit crumbly and not super powerful. Prainha is an advanced break, and with the swell just under 5ft, it’s manageable for strong surfers but might be too much for beginners. The light offshore wind from the WSW in the morning is a big plus.
The afternoon on the 13th sees the swell push to 5ft with onshore wind, so quality drops. The rest of that week into the 16th gets messy—strong cross-on and onshore winds, swell building to 6ft from the east-southeast, combined energy climbing to 581 (strong). But the wind is ruining it, and the surf quality is poor. That setup with significant swell and poor conditions might actually be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Monday the 17th brings 6ft from the east, 9-second period, combined energy of 505 (strong), but the wind is cross-on and the conditions are marginal. Tuesday the 18th afternoon is another bright spot: 5ft from the east, 10-second period, combined energy of 441 (strong), with clean conditions under light cross-off winds. That’s a solid session for strong surfers—good energy, clean faces, and a bit more period for better shape. Just keep in mind 5ft is still on the bigger side for beginners.
Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th fade back to small, clean but weak—2ft to 3ft, combined energy dropping to 79 (weak). Not much going on.
To sum it up, the best bet is Thursday the 13th morning with glassy conditions and a clean 5ft east swell. Tuesday the 18th afternoon is also worth a look for stronger surfers, with clean, solid waves. The rest is either too small, too windy, or too messy. Keep your eyes on that Thursday window.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 23°C on Thu night, min 16°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 23mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Mon morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Sat night, fresh winds from the S by Mon night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | ||||||||||||||
PM | 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 7 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 14 | SE 15 | SE 15 | SE 13 | SE 7 | SE 11 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 13 | SE 12 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
33 | 23 | 40 | 42 | 45 | 78 | 72 | 55 | 100 | 134 | 145 | 78 | 77 | 59 | 140 | 87 | 105 | 50 | 84 | 73 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:25PM0.89m | 9:09AM1.00m | 3:15PM0.66m | 9:42PM0.83m | 3:54AM0.57m | 10:59PM0.84m | 12:00PM1.14m | 00:04AM0.91m | 1:02PM1.25m | 00:55AM1.01m | 1:50PM1.33m | 1:38AM1.12m | 2:31PM1.37m | 2:16AM1.22m | ||||||
Low Tide | 00:35AM0.47m | 1:24PM0.63m | 1:45AM0.53m | 5:51AM0.53m | 7:02PM0.49m | 6:42AM0.39m | 7:49PM0.43m | 7:22AM0.26m | 8:27PM0.42m | 7:54AM0.15m | 8:56PM0.43m | 8:20AM0.06m | 9:12PM0.47m | |||||||
— | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | |
5:49 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | — | 5 | 4 | 6 | 2 | — | 2 | 4 | — | — | 3 |
Temp °C | 20 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
Feels °C | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 15 | E 5 | SE 13 | E 6 | SE 11 | SE 13 | SE 13 | E 8 | SE 12 | SE 13 | ESE 5 |
33 | 23 | 40 | 42 | 45 | 78 | 72 | 55 | 58 | 134 | 16 | 78 | 22 | 59 | 140 | 87 | 11 | 23 | 84 | 17 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 10 | SE 14 | E 8 | SE 15 | ENE 5 | SE 12 | ENE 6 | ENE 9 | E 8 | E 12 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 12 |
18 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 47 | 100 | 30 | 145 | 10 | 53 | 12 | 26 | 34 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 73 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | — | SE 15 | SE 14 | SE 12 | SE 11 | — | SE 5 | SE 5 | SE 5 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SSE 9 | E 8 | E 9 | — | — | — | — | E 7 |
2 | — | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5 | — | 12 | 10 | 7 | 19 | 11 | 29 | 5 | 15 | — | — | — | — | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | N 3 | — | — | — | ENE 8 | ENE 4 | — | SE 5 | SE 7 | SE 5 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 5 | — |
— | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | 85 | 10 | — | 36 | 77 | 29 | 16 | 19 | 105 | 50 | 27 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 40 | 33 | 0 | 54 | 0 | 0 | 80 | 128 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 121 | 121 | 121 | 0 | 61 | 129 | 133 | 61 | 52 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Catarina - Norte | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Brazil | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











