Playa do Carreiro Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Playa do Carreiro over the next couple of weeks. To be honest, it’s gonna be a bit of a waiting game. The first window of any real hope is a long way off, and before that, we’re in for a lot of smaller, pretty ordinary conditions. The water temp here is sitting about average for this time of year, nothing weird going on there.

We’re starting off with a real dud. From Monday the 6th right through to the morning of Saturday the 11th, it’s basically a write-off. The swell is tiny, mostly around 1.0ft to 1ft, and when it does show, the wind is often onshore or cross, just ruining any chance of a wave. There’s barely any energy in the water with combined swell energy values stuck down around the 20 to 66 mark. Not worth paddling out for.

Now, Saturday morning the 11th offers a little glimmer. The wind goes glassy, which is a huge positive. The swell is only 2ft from the NW with a period of 11 seconds, giving it a bit of groundswell punch for the size, and the energy climbs to 103. It’s surfable, but it’s very ordinary. After that, we’re back into poor conditions until we hit the first proper stand-out.

The real highlight, the one to circle on your calendar, is Tuesday morning the 21st of July. That’s where it finally comes together. We’ve got a 6ft swell from the NNW, with a period of 7 seconds. The combined swell energy is a very solid 382, meaning there’s proper power in the water. But the key is the wind: it’s a light cross-offshore breeze from the NNW at 6 mph, making for clean conditions. The lookout says “expect good surf conditions” and I’ll take that. For a river mouth like Playa do Carreiro, that NNW direction is pretty much on the money for the optimum WNW, and with that clean wind, it’ll be worth the wait. Just be aware, at 6ft, it’s going to be a bit much for true beginners, and crowds are listed as “sometimes” so you might have some company.

Before that big day, Sunday the 19th and Monday the 20th get a bit bigger, but the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, making a mess of it with messy energy values of 239 and 234. The 20th shows a 7ft swell but it’s wind-affected and choppy, likely more of a kite-surfing setup than a clean paddle. So hold out for that Tuesday session – it’s the only true standout in this whole 16-day stretch.

Stay patient,
Rusty

Read more