Praia Cardoso Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s cookin’ for Praia Cardoso.

Honestly, the next week or so is a bit of a mixed bag. We've got some clean conditions early on, but the real juice doesn't show up until the second week. The first few days are mostly small and a bit scrappy, so patience is the name of the game.

Right now, we're looking at a pretty weak and wobbly swell. The combined wave energy is a measly 38 (weak), with a short 5-second period, so not much to get excited about. The wind is a light cross-onshore, making for bumpy, poor surf. This holds through Sunday and Monday, though Monday does go clean with a cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is tiny at 0.7ft. Not worth paddling out for.

Come Tuesday, the 4th of August, things get interesting for a moment. Tuesday morning sees glassy conditions, and a 4ft swell rolls in from the south with a 12-second period. The combined energy jumps to 342 (moderate). It's a small, clean window, but the wind is set to shift to a cross-onshore by the afternoon. That morning session is the one to jump on if you’re a beginner or just want a quiet, clean wave, as the break is "fairly consistent" and crowds are only "sometimes" an issue.

Wednesday the 5th is also glassy in the morning with a 3ft SSE swell, but the energy is a bit lower (178). It’s surfable but just ordinary. The rest of the week gets messy again with onshore winds and a building, choppy swell.

Now, here’s where we hit the real deal. By Monday the 10th of August, a proper pulse arrives. The morning shows a 10ft south swell at 12 seconds, with combined energy hitting 2567 (strong). The wind is a light cross-shore. But – and this is a big but – at 10ft+, this is too big for a beginner and really only for experts. By the afternoon, it’s a massive 12ft at 13 seconds with onshore wind. This is not your average session.

The real standout is Tuesday the 11th of August. The morning is the pick of the entire forecast. We’ve got a 8ft south swell with a long, powerful 13-second period, and the wind is a crisp cross-offshore from the NNE. The break is clean, and the combined energy is a solid 1825 (strong). This is excellent surf for experienced surfers ready for a hefty, rippable wave. The afternoon gets windy again, so get it early.

Wednesday the 12th of August morning also looks clean and glassy with a 7ft south swell (12 seconds, 1148 energy), another good option for the more experienced crew.

After that, it fades fast. The swell drops back down, and we get into onshore winds and small, poor conditions for the rest of the second week. There’s a slight bump on the 15th with an east swell around 6ft, but the wind is messy and cross-shore.

So, to boil it down: the best bet for the average surfer is that glassy Tuesday morning (4th of August). For the advanced crew looking for some power, the absolute standout is Tuesday the 11th of August morning – mark it in your calendar. The 10th is just too big and raw to call a true standout, but the 12th morning is another solid, clean back-up.

Stay safe out there.
Rusty.

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