Playa do Carreiro Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks.

Well, I’ll be honest with you, the outlook for this stretch is pretty grim. We’re looking at a long, flat spell to kick things off, and even when the swell tries to show up, the conditions just aren’t playing ball. The first real chance to get wet doesn’t come until Wednesday the 12th of August, and even then it’s a bit of a mixed bag.

The only spot worth talking about is Playa do Carreiro, a river mouth setup that’s fairly consistent but is going to be a tough nut to crack. The water is sitting at 67°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first half of the window is a write-off. From the 5th through to the 11th, the swell is tiny—mostly 1.0ft to 3ft—and the wind is either cross or cross-off, keeping things messy. You’ll see a few glassy mornings on the 8th and 9th, but with waves that small and weak energy, it’s barely a paddle.

The real interest, if you can call it that, picks up on Wednesday the 12th of August. The morning brings a clean 3ft swell from the west (period 9 seconds) with glassy conditions, and the combined energy climbs to 197 (moderate). The afternoon improves a touch: 4ft from the west, period 9 seconds, cross-off NNW wind at 9 mph, and a combined energy of 218. This is the best on offer, but it’s still very ordinary. The swell direction (W) is a good match for the spot’s optimum (WNW), so the waves will have some shape, but the period is short, so don’t expect any real power.

After that, it’s downhill again. The 14th of August sees a jump in swell size—6ft on Friday afternoon—but it’s from the NW with a short 7-second period, and the wind is a fresh 22 mph cross-off. The combined energy hits 315 (moderate), but the report says “poor surf conditions.” That’s a lot of chop and wind for a river mouth setup. For a beach-and-river break like this, with that much wind and that short a period, it’s honestly looking more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The 15th of August (Saturday) has similar issues: 5ft to 5ft from the NNW, period 7-10 seconds, but with fresh winds up to 22 mph. The energy is moderate to strong (344 to 419), but the quality is poor. The 16th is more of the same—windy and messy.

The second week offers nothing to get excited about. Mornings are usually glassy, but the swell is small (2ft to 3ft) and the wind picks up every afternoon. The 18th of August morning has a clean 3ft NW swell (period 9 seconds) with light wind, but the energy is only 158 (weak). It’s surfable, but only just.

Honestly, if you’re desperate, the Wednesday the 12th of August afternoon is your best bet, but it’s not a standout. The rest of the window is a struggle. A blank run like this is fairly normal for the area, so don’t be surprised. Forecasts can change, but for now, I’d keep the board in the car and the wetsuit dry.

Rusty.

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