Praia Cardoso Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty. Let's get into it.

Alright, it's a bit of a slow start here at Praia Cardoso (Praia-Cardoso). We've got a gap of a few days with nothing really on offer, so don't get your hopes up for the first part of the week. The water temp is sitting at 66°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, nothing to worry about there.

Wednesday the 19th is a write-off, with tiny, weak 0.7ft to 1.0ft dribble and choppy onshore winds. Thursday the 20th stays clean with some cross-off breeze, but the swell is still small at 2ft to 3ft, and the energy is weak (60 to 131). Friday the 21st sees a jump in size, but it's blown out with a fresh cross-shore and cross-onshore wind, making it lumpy and messy. Saturday the 22nd is more of the same, choppy and cross-on with 6ft to 6ft swell. You could probably sit it out and wait.

Now, Sunday the 23rd morning shows a little more promise with a 5ft swell from the south, period bumping up to 10 seconds, and clean conditions. The energy is moderate (690). The afternoon, however, gets messy again with a 7ft swell but a strong cross-onshore wind. It's still marginal.

The real standout is Monday the 24th. Early morning, the wind goes light and variable, and the swell hammers in at 10ft from the south, with a period of 13 seconds. The energy is strong (2887). That's a big, powerful groundswell. The problem is, it's predicted to be too big for this break, which is a beach setup. This is expert territory only. The afternoon drops to 8ft, still a solid swell, but the period is even longer at 14 seconds (very long period). For a beach break, that long period can make the waves break a bit too straight, so it's a bit of a caveat. Still, if you're an experienced surfer, the morning window is the best on offer.

Tuesday the 25th, the swell drops to 5ft to 6ft, winds are clean and cross-off, but it's still just marginal. The energy is moderate (617 to 918). Wednesday the 26th, the swell fades further to 3ft, and by Thursday the 27th, we're back to tiny 2ft to 2ft waves. The energy is weak (59 to 76). Friday the 28th, another pulse of short-period, wind-affected slop.

Looking further out, Sunday the 30th, we get a bit of a pulse with 3ft to 4ft swell from the south, period at 9 seconds, and clean cross-off winds. The energy is moderate (262 to 276). It's not epic, but it's a surfable window.

The real tease is the start of September. On Tuesday the 3rd, we have a solid 7ft swell from the south, period of 12 seconds, and light offshore winds. The energy is strong (1113). The forecast says excellent conditions for experienced surfers. That's a long way out, but it's a promising one to keep an eye on.

So, in summary, if you're an expert, Monday the 24th morning is your best bet for a big, powerful day. For everyone else, the Sunday the 30th window is a more manageable option. The early September pulse is something to watch, but it's a long-range call.

Rusty.

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