Playa do Carreiro Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what this stretch of coast has in store.

We start off with a real quiet spell. Playa do Carreiro is barely coughing up anything for the first 10 days. Waves are tiny – around 1.0ft to 3ft from the west-northwest – with weak energy, mostly between 46 and 154. The water’s sitting at 62°, which is a touch colder than usual for this time of year. Winds are a mix of cross and cross-offshore, and the models are all saying "poor surf conditions." Not much to get excited about.

There’s a couple of glassy mornings on Monday 13th and Tuesday 14th, with knee-high waves and a bit more period (11 seconds on the 14th), but they’re still just "surfable but very ordinary." A log ride maybe, but nothing special.

The one real standout is Friday 17th July in the morning. Swell picks up to 4ft from the west-northwest, with an 8-second period and energy of 248 (moderate to strong). The wind’s from the north as a clean cross-offshore, so the surface should be smooth. This is the best looking window of the whole 16 days – clean, fun-sized, and intermediate-friendly. Crowds are "sometimes," so you might see a few others out.

Saturday 18th keeps that clean cross-offshore breeze from the north-northwest, with 4ft to 5ft waves from the northwest. Energy spikes to 506 on the afternoon (strong), but the forecast calls it "marginal" – tide or consistency likely playing a part. Friday morning remains the pick.

Come Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st, the swell sticks around at 5ft to 5ft from the northwest. Tuesday afternoon sees a 12-second period with energy up to 609 (strong), which has some real grunt. But the wind shifts to southwest and west-southwest as a cross-onshore, bringing some chop. That combo might be better suited for the kiteboarders than paddle surfers.

So, bottom line: a long quiet start, then a clean Friday on the 17th is your best chance. The end of the run has size but the wind’s a problem.

Rusty.

Read more