Praia Cardoso Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, starting off on Saturday the 4th of July, it’s a no-go. We’ve got a massive 3.0m southerly swell pounding in, with 12-second period and a combined energy of 2225. That’s a lot of water moving, and with a cross-shore breeze, it’s going to be a messy, blown-out mess and frankly too big for this break.

Sunday the 5th of July is where your alarm should be set. This is the standout. The swell drops to a still-chunky 2.1m from the south, but the magic happens with a glassy, off-the-charts NNW wind. It’s clean, it’s smooth, and at 11 seconds, the period is solid. This is a session for experienced surfers only, though – over 2.5m is expert territory. Energy is still strong at 1045. This is the pick of the whole outlook. If you can only get one session, make it this morning.

After that, things fade fast. Monday the 6th drops to 0.7m with a very long 18-second period. That’s a classic groundswell, and on a beach break, it’ll be straight, fat and hard to catch. Not worth the paddle.

From Tuesday the 7th through Friday the 10th, it’s a write-off. The wind is cross-onshore or onshore, the swell is either weak or in the 1.7m to 1.9m range with short, choppy periods of 6 to 8 seconds. The combined energy sits between 120 and 829 – moderate at best, but the quality is poor. This stretch is for the kites, not the surfboards.

Wednesday the 8th of July morning shows a flash of clean 1.5m surf with an offshore wind (NNW), and it’s clean. It might give you a few, but it’s nothing special. The energy is only 526.

Saturday the 11th and Sunday the 12th offer some clean, cross-off wind conditions, but the swell is weak – around 1.0m to 1.2m – and from the ESE with a long period (13 seconds). Energy is moderate at 516 to 644. It’ll look pretty but the waves will be few and far between.

Then we get another blank run from Monday the 13th into Tuesday the 14th, with onshore winds and poor quality.

Now, look ahead. Wednesday the 15th of July is another potential gem. The morning shows 1.5m south swell, 11 seconds, and glassy conditions – zero wind. This will be clean as a whistle and just the right size for a fun session. Combined energy is 568. Not a monster, but a great, clean option.

After that, Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th are back to big, messy, and blown out. Expect 3.0m southerly swell with cross-onshore winds and energy values over 2100 and up to 4198. Too rough and too big.

The outlook wraps up with Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th of July. Saturday offers a cleaner, cross-off 1.7m south swell (896 energy), but it’s still on the edge of choppy. Sunday the 19th is a nicer, cleaner 1.0m south swell with 11-second period – surfable for a cruisy session.

So, to sum it up: Sunday morning the 5th of July is the one you wait for – big, glassy, and clean. Wednesday morning the 15th of July is also worth a look for a clean, manageable session. Everything else is either too big, too small, or too messy.

Rusty.

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