Praia Cardoso Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the next couple of weeks at Praia Cardoso. The water’s sitting at a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, about 68°, so not a drama, but it’s a bit of a hint that things are a little out of the ordinary.

Right now, the next few days are pretty bleak. We’ve got a small, weak south swell that’s just not doing anything for us. The energy is weak, with combined readings in the 40s and 80s, and the winds are either cross-off or cross, making it messy. Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning are tiny, and while Tuesday morning does go glassy, it’s only 4ft and the period is a touch short. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about. Wednesday and Thursday are even smaller and choppier. Honestly, you’d be fighting for a mediocre wave at best until the weekend.

Now, here’s where things start to wake up. The first real standout is on Saturday, August 8th. A proper groundswell rolls in from the south with a 15-second period, and the combined energy jumps to a strong 1712. It’s pushing 7ft on Saturday morning, and though the wind is a fresh cross-off at 15 mph, Saturday afternoon looks the pick: 6ft of clean south swell, a light offshore, and the conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. That’s the one to get excited about. This is not a beginners' wave; it’s pushing past the 5ft mark, so leave the foamies at home. The wave will be powerful and lined up, a proper point-break-style wall.

The swell eases a touch on Sunday, but the wind swings onshore and chops it all up. Monday and Tuesday are marginal, with lighter winds but still onshore or cross-shore, keeping the surface lumpy. Then, on Tuesday afternoon, August 11th, we get another beautiful window. It goes full glass, dead calm, with a 7ft south groundswell at 11 seconds. The energy is back up over 1000, and the call is “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That’s another solid day for the better crew.

After that, it backs off midweek, but keep an eye on Friday morning, August 14th. We see the biggest pure swell of the run: 8ft from the south, still with a solid 11-second period, and it’s glassy. The combined energy is a very strong 1317. This is the biggest and cleanest option of the entire forecast, a proper heavy day for experts only. Anything over 8ft is top-end, but this 8ft is right on the edge. It’ll be a serious, powerful wave that won’t forgive mistakes. The wind is near nothing, which will make it look perfect from the beach, but respect it.

The following weekend drops off again, and the winds get messy with a lot of rain and strong breezes. There’s a pulse of east-southeast energy on August 16th, but the winds are screaming at 25 mph, making it a total write-off. That’s more for the kitesurfers than anyone else. The final days of the window show a new swell from the east and south-southwest, but the winds are all over the place, so it never really comes together cleanly.

So, your two real standouts are Saturday afternoon, August 8th, and Friday morning, August 14th. Both are big, clean, and powerful south swells. The Friday one is the biggest and glassiest, but don’t sleep on the Saturday one either—it’s got a longer period and a touch more energy. These are the calls for the experienced crew. For everyone else, it’s a waiting game.

Catch you down the beach.

Rusty

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