Playa do Carreiro Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking.

First up, the water’s a bit cooler than usual for this time of year – about 2°F off the norm, so you’ll want a decent wetsuit. The opening days are pretty lackluster. We start with a poor, rainy Thursday afternoon at Playa do Carreiro with a weak 3ft swell from the WNW at 8 seconds, and onshore wind making a mess of things. That’s a no-go.

Friday shows some promise, but it’s not quite there. The morning bumps up to a 7ft WNW groundswell with an 11-second period, and the energy is solid (1051). Winds are light and cross-shore, which is a bonus, but the forecast calls it marginal – tide likely messing with the setup. The afternoon gets a touch bigger at 8ft, but the wind swings cross-onshore, putting a bit of a chop on it. This is heavy for a river mouth, and anything over 8ft is strictly for the experts around here. Not the day to be a beginner.

Saturday drops back to 5ft, but the wind is onshore or cross-on, and the period is short at 8 seconds. The energy is modest (248). It’s not clean, not big, not worth chasing.

Sunday stays similar, though the morning has a cross-shore breeze and a 5ft swell from the NW at 9 seconds. It’s surfable but average – the energy is moderate (414). The afternoon gets a stronger cross-shore wind, so it’ll be a bit bumpy.

Now, here’s the standout. Monday the 31st of August is the pick of the whole run. You’ve got a clean, 5ft to 6ft NW swell with a nice 11-second period in the morning, dropping to 10 seconds in the afternoon. The energy is strong (593 morning, 634 afternoon). The wind is cross-offshore from the N and NNW, light to moderate, keeping the face clean. This is chest to head high, good shape, and a long period groundswell – perfect for a river mouth break like this. It’s the best on offer, no contest.

Tuesday drops off quickly. The morning has a clean 5ft cross-off swell, but the period is short (9 seconds) and energy is low (345). By afternoon, the wind is up to 15 mph, and while it’s still cross-off, it’s just not fun.

From Wednesday the 2nd through to the end of the first week, the swell fades to knee-high dribble – 2ft to 3ft, with short periods. Winds are clean in the mornings but the energy is weak (51 to 149). There’s a glimmer on the 4th of September with glassy conditions and a 2ft swell, but it’s nothing to write home about.

The second week sees a pulse of long-period groundswell arrive around the 5th and 6th of September. Saturday the 5th has a 3ft NW swell at 13 seconds, and then Sunday the 6th is 4ft NW at 11 seconds with clean cross-off winds. The energy is moderate (327 to 405). It’s promising, but it’s a week and a half away, so don’t lock in plans yet.

The real hidden gem is Wednesday the 9th of September. The morning is glassy, dead calm, with a 4ft WNW groundswell at 12 seconds. That’s a long-period, clean groundswell with no wind. The energy is solid (385). If you can get that morning, it’ll be the cleanest wave of the whole window, but it’s small – more a longboard or a fish day.

After that, it fades again into the second weekend with small, weak surf. Crowds at this spot are “sometimes,” so you might have some company on the better days, but it won’t be a zoo.

Overall, the best day is Monday the 31st of August for a solid, clean swell. The second best is the glassy morning of Wednesday the 9th of September for pure quality over size.

Rusty.

Read more