Praia Cardoso Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for Praia Cardoso over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a flat start. The first couple of days are pretty much a write-off, with tiny waves and poor conditions. You’re better off waiting it out.

The first real sign of life appears on the morning of Monday, August 31st. We’re looking at a big pulse of swell, a solid 10ft from the ESE, but here’s the catch – it’s predicted to be too big for this break. The energy is pumping hard, with a massive reading of 1101. The wind is clean with a cross-off breeze, but honestly, this is for experienced surfers only, if anyone’s brave enough to paddle out. The afternoon drops a bit to 8ft, but it’s still a big, powerful wave. The water is sitting at 63°, about average for this time of year.

We get a few days of messy, choppy conditions after that. The waves are still at moderate to solid heights on Wednesday, September 2nd, with 8ft and strong energy (1048) in the morning, but it’s cross-shore with a chop, so it’s not going to be pretty.

Now, here’s a standout. On the morning of Thursday, September 3rd, we finally get a window where it all comes together. You’ve got a clean 5ft from the ESE with light offshore winds from the NNW. The energy is moderate at 424, and the conditions are looking clean. This is your best bet of the first week – not a monster, but a proper, rideable wave with good shape.

The second week looks inconsistent. A big, windy swell shows up around Sunday, September 6th, with an 12ft southerly swell and strong energy (2262), but it’s blown out with near-gale force winds. That’s a hard pass for paddling, and honestly, that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

There’s another promising window on the morning of Tuesday, September 8th. We get a 7ft swell from the SSE with an 11-second period, clean offshore winds from the north, and very good conditions forecast. The energy is high at 969. This is a solid groundswell, period over 11 seconds, so it’ll have some punch and longer gaps between sets. It’s a bit big for beginners, but for anyone who’s comfortable in overhead surf, this is the session to circle on your calendar.

After that, the swell drops off again, with small, ordinary waves through the middle of the month. There’s a brief kick on Saturday, September 12th. The morning brings a glassy 5ft from the east (267 energy), and the afternoon gets even better: a 6ft easterly swell with a 10-second period, clean conditions, and a reading of 547. Very good surf on offer then.

So, to sum it up: the week starts slow, but Thursday, September 3rd morning is your best bet for clean, manageable waves. For the bigger, more powerful stuff, aim for Tuesday, September 8th morning – that’s the real standout for experienced surfers. The weekend of September 12th also looks promising for a fun session. Keep an eye on the wind, and don’t bother with the flat, choppy days in between.

Rusty, signing off.

Read more