Canto do Leblon Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Canto do Leblon. It’s a mixed bag of conditions, but we’ll find the windows.

The overall pattern is quiet to start, with a few small pulses of SSE swell. The real standout won’t hit until the second week, so keep the patience.

Friday, September 4th – We’ve got a tiny 3 ft SSE swell with a 11-second period, but the wind is onshore in the afternoon and the whole day feels flat and ordinary. The combined energy is weak at 266 in the morning, dropping to 212. Honestly, not worth paddling out for.

Saturday, September 5th – The swell drops to 2 ft on the morning glass-off. The combined energy is a paltry 74. It’s glassy, but the waves are tiny. A fun morning for a log if you’re desperate, but nothing to write home about.

Sunday, September 6th – The swell bumps up to 4 ft from the S with a 10-second period, combined energy of 369. Morning winds are cross-off, so it’s clean. But the afternoon gets messy with onshore winds and a 6 ft S swell that’s short-period (8 seconds) and choppy. The wave energy jumps to 725, but the quality is poor. The beach-and-point setup is getting thrashed. Might be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing that afternoon.

Monday, September 7th – The morning starts with 6 ft S swell but onshore winds. The real gem is the *afternoon*: glassy conditions, 6 ft S swell, 10-second period, combined energy of 605. This is the best session of the first week. Clean, surfable waves, and the water temp is about average for this time of year.

Tuesday, September 8th – The swell drops to 4 ft to 4 ft with cross-shore winds. The combined energy sits around 435-466. Just ordinary, with a bit of chop. Nothing special.

Wednesday, September 9th – A small 3 ft S swell in the morning with cross-off wind, but it’s weak (225 energy). The afternoon gets a 4 ft E swell, but it’s short-period (7 seconds) and onshore. Not a day to plan around.

Thursday, September 10th – Thursday morning is tiny (2 ft S, 12 seconds, 180 energy). The *afternoon*, however, pulls a surprise: 4 ft E swell with a 7-second period, but the winds are light cross-off and the combined energy climbs to 382. It’s clean, and the wave comment says “expect good surf conditions.” This is a solid, sneaky session.

Friday, September 11th to Sunday, September 13th – A stretch of small, weak swell. The best is Saturday morning, September 12th, with a glassy 3 ft ESE swell (105 energy), but it’s tiny. The rest is onshore or choppy. Not worth a special trip.

Monday, September 14th – A 3 ft to 3 ft S swell, but the wind is howling cross-onshore up to 16 mph. Combined energy hits 254, but it’s choppy and messy. Kite surfers might have a field day, but not for us.

Now for the standout: Tuesday, September 15th – Morning brings a 4 ft SSE swell with an 8-second period, but the wind is light offshore from the NNW, and the combined energy is 276. The report says “expect good surf conditions” and it’s clean. This is the pick of the bunch for the first two weeks. The swell direction matches the optimum (SE), and the wind is off. It’s a small, clean wave, perfect for intermediates.

Wednesday, September 16th – A glassy morning with 2 ft S swell (11 seconds, 172 energy). Tiny, but clean. The afternoon has a 3 ft S swell with a very long 14-second period, combined energy of 493. That long period means better shaped waves, but at a beach-and-point, it might be a little too straight. Still, a promising session.

Thursday, September 17th – The morning is the highlight of the whole forecast. A 4 ft S swell with a 12-second period, combined energy of 609, and light cross-off wind from the west. The report says “expect good surf conditions.” This is the one to circle. The swell is solid, clean, and the energy is strong. It’s a true standout.

Friday, September 18th – The swell drops to 3 ft with a 14-second period, but the wind is cross-onshore. Combined energy of 390. Marginal, but the long period keeps some hope.

Saturday, September 19th – The tail end. A tiny 2 ft S swell, 12-second period, onshore wind. The combined energy is a weak 121. The run is over.

So my pick: Thursday, September 17th morning for the best combination of size, wind, and energy. Tuesday, September 15th morning is a close second for a cleaner, smaller wave. Get out there.

Rusty.

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