Canto do Leblon Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at what we’ve got for the next couple of weeks. The water here is sitting at 73°, which is a touch warmer than you’d normally expect for this time of year, so that’s a nice little bonus.

Right now, we’re in a bit of a flat spell. The first few days are offering waves, but they’re nothing to write home about—small, mixed-up, and the wind just isn’t playing ball. Wednesday morning (5th August) has a tiny 3ft south swell with a decent 12-second period, but the cross-off wind is just okay, and the energy is weak (242). It’s surfable, but you’d be scraping for scraps. Thursday is even smaller, and Friday morning offers a tiny 1ft south-southeast swell under a gentle offshore breeze, but it’s really just knee-high stuff.

Saturday the 8th has a bit of a spike in the afternoon—5ft south swell with a 15-second period, and the energy jumps (1112)—but it’s cross-on and choppy. That’s a messy one. Sunday and Monday see the swell hanging around 4ft to 5ft, but the wind is just not cooperating, with onshore and cross-on conditions muddying the water.

The real standout, and I mean the only one worth getting excited about, is the morning of Saturday 15th August. Canto do Leblon is looking glassy—dead calm, no wind—with a 4ft south swell pulsing at 13 seconds. That’s a clean, lined-up wave with moderate energy (993). The offshore wind is perfect, so you’ll be getting smooth faces. This is the pick of the bunch, hands down. It’s a break that’s fairly exposed to the south swell, and with that sweet offshore direction, it should be handling that swell beautifully.

But hold on—Sunday morning 16th August is the real heavyweight. We’re looking at a 8ft south-southeast swell with a 14-second period, and the energy is pumping (2021). That’s a big, powerful groundswell, and it’s coming in under a light cross-off breeze with clean conditions. This is for experienced surfers only—it’s big, it’s strong, and it’s a proper session. The long period will make it better for the point section of the break, so head for the end where it peels. The water is still warm, and the crowds are *sometimes* an issue, so get out early.

After that, the swell drops back through the next week, with a few smaller, cleaner mornings, but nothing that matches the punch of that 16th. The last few days of the outlook fade into tiny, weak swell with almost no energy. So, if you’ve got a window, nail the 15th morning for a glassy, fun session, or the 16th morning if you’re ready for a serious, powerful swell.

Rusty.

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