Playa do Carreiro Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s lining up for us.

To be straight with you, the next two weeks are looking pretty grim for Playa do Carreiro. We’re talking a long stretch of tiny, weak swell and rubbish wind. The first real surfable day isn’t until Sunday the 19th, and even then, it’s only just getting going. From now until Saturday the 18th, it’s a write-off – waves are barely breaking, all under 2ft with no energy to speak of, and the wind is mostly cross or onshore. You’d be better off polishing your board.

Come Sunday the 19th morning, there’s a glimmer. We’ve got a 3ft swell from the NW, period around 7 seconds, and a clean cross-off wind from the north. The combined energy is still low (85), so it’s not going to blow your socks off, but it’s surfable. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing to get excited about. Don’t expect a crowd-free session though – it’s a river break that can get people on it.

Monday the 20th sees the swell bump up to 3ft from the NW, and the energy climbs to 118 (moderate), but the wind swings cross-onshore and onshore, so it’s messy again. Not worth the paddle out.

The next decent window doesn’t show up until Friday the 24th. There’s a shift in the afternoon – a 1ft swell from the NW, but the period jumps to 15 seconds. That’s a very long period groundswell, so it’ll have some real push, and the combined energy hits 97. But the wind is onshore again, and the size is tiny. A long period swell on a river break can sometimes be too straight, but it’s a glimmer.

The real standout, and the only one I’d circle on your calendar, is Tuesday the 28th. The morning session is looking *magic*. Glassy conditions, clean as a whistle, with a 6ft swell from the WNW, period of 10 seconds, and a massive energy reading of 726. That’s strong wave energy. The wind is glassy – that’s the big one. Now, 6ft is pushing into the “too big for beginners” territory, but for an intermediate surfer, this is the best on offer. The wind is glassy, the swell is solid, and the energy is there. Just remember, as a river break, these long-period swells can be a bit tricky, but with that wind, it’ll be clean.

The rest of the second week has some swell (5ft to 5ft) but it’s mostly crossed-up or onshore. Wednesday the 29th and Thursday the 30th have some size, but the wind is a problem. It’s a shame, because the energy is there, but the conditions won’t let you enjoy it.

So, bottom line: the first week is a dud. The second week has one clear winner – Tuesday the 28th morning. Get on it early.

Rusty.

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