Playa do Carreiro Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk about the stretch ahead for Playa do Carreiro. This is a river mouth spot, open to the ocean, and it needs everything to line up to be good. The water is sitting at 69°F, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, so you’ll be fine in a shorty.

The forecast is a bit of a rollercoaster, with a few clean windows early on, but the real power shows up later. The first few days are not really doing much. Monday morning the 27th of July is the best of the early stuff, with a glassy, clean 4ft swell from the northwest, period at 10 seconds, and the combined energy is moderate at 259. It’s a nice, clean start for the intermediate crew, but it’s not a standout. The wind is light and glassy, so the river mouth will be looking tidy. By Monday afternoon, the cross-shore wind comes in, and it gets a bit average.

Tuesday and Wednesday see the swell drop and the wind turns messy, with cross and onshore conditions. The wave heights fall below 3ft, and the energy drops off a cliff. It’s a real flat spell from Tuesday afternoon through to Friday morning. You’re looking at a gap of a couple of days with very little worthwhile surf.

Friday morning the 31st of July offers a small glimmer with a 2ft NW swell, clean cross-offshore wind, but the period is a short 6 seconds, so it’s weak and a bit wobble. The combined energy is low at 58. It’s surfable, but ordinary.

The weekend of the 1st and 2nd of August is pretty flat. Saturday morning has a 3ft NNW swell with a glassy surface, but it’s a weak 8-second period, and the energy is only 122. The wind is light and glassy, so it’s clean, but there’s just not enough push. Sunday is a total write-off with onshore wind and tiny waves.

The first real standout, and the only one worth marking in the diary, is the Monday morning of the 10th of August. Don’t get your hopes up, because the wind is strong and cross-offshore at 15 mph, but the swell is a solid 5ft from the NW with a 10-second period, and the combined energy is a strong 326. It’s a good size, but the wind is howling, so it’s going to be a messy, choppy affair. This is a big, powerful swell at a river mouth, so it’s likely to be a bit of a washing machine, and it’s probably only for the experts. The crowds are a possibility here, too.

Tuesday the 11th of August sees the swell drop back to 3ft, but the period stretches out to a very long 11 seconds from the NNW. The combined energy is still a strong 347, but the wind is a stiff 19 mph cross-offshore. Again, it’s a powerful groundswell, but the wind will ruin the surface at the river mouth. It’s a real shame, as the energy is there, but the conditions are just too rough.

Honestly, the whole 16-day window is a tough one. There’s a real lack of consistent, clean surf. The Monday morning of the 27th of July is the best you’ll get for a clean, fun session, but it’s small. The bigger swells later are all blown out. It’s one of those periods where you’re better off waiting for the next forecast update.

Rusty.

Read more