Arpoador Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me tell you how things are shaping up here at Arpoador over the next couple of weeks.

The good news is that this stretch is a classic Rio beach break that starts off with tiny, weak surf and slowly builds into a solid run of proper groundswell. The wait is worth it if you’re picky. Right now, the opening days are pretty flat and not worth paddling out for – the first session that even gets a mention is Thursday the 20th, but that’s a tiny 1ft from the ESE with weak energy (25) and a cross-shore breeze. You’re better off waiting.

Things start to get more interesting from Saturday morning the 22nd, when the swell bumps up to 4ft from the S, but the wind is onshore and it’s messy. By Saturday afternoon, there’s a bigger 5ft S swell (11 seconds) with moderate energy (530), but again, the onshore wind kills it. The real turning point comes Sunday morning the 23rd. It’s still cloudy, but the swell is a clean 4ft from the S (10 seconds), wind turns cross-offshore from the ENE at just 3 mph, and conditions are clean. The energy is moderate (282). That’s where you start to see some shape, but it’s still average-sized.

Now, the standout in this whole 16-day window is Tuesday morning the 25th of August. This is the one. We’ve got a solid 7ft S groundswell with a long 14-second period, bringing very strong energy (2012). The wind is offshore from the NE at a light 6 mph. That combo means clean, powerful walls at Arpoador. This is excellent for experienced surfers – it’s a proper session if you know what you’re doing. The water is sitting at a comfortable 73°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. Expect some crowds, as it’s often busy here, but the quality makes it worth the company. The swell direction (S) is bang on what this break likes.

The other real gem is a long-range one that shows up much later: Thursday morning the 3rd of September. That’s a big forecast of 7ft from the S with a very long 17-second period and exceptional energy (2390). With a clean offshore NE wind, this is another excellent one for experienced surfers. It’s a long way out, so treat that as a promising lead, not a guarantee.

In between, you’ve got Wednesday morning the 26th of August: 6ft S swell (14 seconds), glassy winds from the NNE at just 3 mph. That's a joy. And Thursday morning the 27th and Friday the 28th all offer clean, smaller waves with offshore winds. The second week has a few messy days with onshore wind and smaller surf, especially at the very end of the month and into early September. The wind and chop spoil things a fair bit. But keep your eyes on that Thursday the 3rd.

If you can only pick one session, make it Tuesday the 25th or Wednesday the 26th of August.

Rusty.

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