Playa do Carreiro Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Look, we’ve got a mixed bag coming up for the next sixteen days. The early part of the week is pretty much a write-off with onshore winds and messy conditions, but there’s a glimmer of hope later on. The real standout is shaping up for the morning of Saturday the 29th of August, and again on the morning of Monday the 31st of August. The Saturday morning window is the one to circle.

Playa do Carreiro is a river mouth setup, exposed to the swell, and it’s fairly consistent. It gets a bit of a crowd, so don’t expect to be alone. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing wild.

So, starting off, Monday the 24th isn’t your day. Morning has a 6ft SW swell but a cross-off ESE wind at 12 mph that’s just spoiling it. The combined energy is moderate (521), but the quality’s not there. By afternoon, the wind swings onshore, and it’s just poor.

Tuesday the 25th is flat and sloppy. Swell drops to 2ft, onshore wind, just leave the board in the car.

Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th are a write-off. Strong onshore winds, rain, and thunderstorms. The swell builds from 5ft to 7ft, but it’s all windswell with short periods (6-8 seconds) and the wind is trashing it. Combined energy is moderate (149 to 747), but it’s just not surfable.

Friday the 28th of August gets interesting. The morning brings a 8ft WNW swell with a period of 10 seconds, and the energy jumps to strong (1489). Wind is light from the SW, onshore, but manageable. The wave comment says “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions” – it’s a big one, but it’s just for experienced surfers. Over 8ft is expert territory. The afternoon is a little smaller, 7ft, but still a bit onshore.

Saturday the 29th of August – this is the one. The morning is glassy. Dead calm, not a breath of wind. The swell is a clean 5ft from the NW with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy is moderate (262). The wave comment says “expect good surf conditions.” This is your window. The beach setup will be clean, with that light offshore flow from the SSE. The afternoon wind picks up from the west, though, so get it early.

Sunday the 30th is small again. Morning has a glassy 3ft WNW swell, but it’s so weak (106) it’s barely surfable. The afternoon is cross-shore and choppy.

Monday the 31st of August morning is another good call. Clean 5ft WNW swell, period 9 seconds, with a cross-offshore N wind at 9 mph. Combined energy is moderate (336). The wave comment says “expect good surf conditions.” The afternoon is a bit bigger, 5ft, but with a stronger wind, so morning is the pick.

Tuesday the 1st of September morning is similar – clean 5ft NW swell, cross-offshore wind, good energy (367). Another solid morning session.

After that, from Wednesday the 2nd through to Saturday the 5th of September, the swell drops off and the winds get stronger. There’s a bit of clean surf, but the swell is mostly below 3ft and weak. Not worth the paddle.

Sunday the 6th of September morning is promising. A 5ft NW swell with a period of 11 seconds, clean cross-offshore wind, and moderate energy (499). The wave comment says “expect good surf conditions.” The afternoon is also clean with a 4ft WNW swell. This is a good long-range call, but less certain.

Then we get a massive spike on Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th of September. Monday the 7th has a tiny 2ft W swell but a very long period of 21 seconds! That’s a groundswell, but the wind is onshore and choppy. The energy is strong (997) but unusable. Tuesday the 8th of September morning has a 8ft WNW swell with a period of 14 seconds, and the energy is very strong (3110). This is a monster, but the wind is onshore from the SW, and the wave comment is “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions.” This is only for experts, and even then, the wind might ruin it.

So, to wrap it up: the standout is the morning of Saturday the 29th of August for the glassy conditions, and the morning of Monday the 31st of August as a solid backup. The Sunday the 6th of September sessions are a good long-range bet. The big swell on the 8th is a wildcard, but only for the brave.

Rusty.

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