Praia Cardoso Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s take a look at Praia Cardoso for the next couple of weeks.

The opening week has a couple of windows that are worth a paddle, but the second week gets messy and drops off. The standout morning is Sunday, July 5th. We’ve got a clean 7ft S swell rolling in with 11-second period and glassy conditions. The combined energy is solid at 1045, so there’s plenty of push. That’s an excellent morning for experienced surfers, but at over 5ft and heading towards 7ft, it’s too big for beginners. The water temp is about average for the time of year.

By Sunday afternoon, the wind swings NE and cross-off, dropping the swell to 5ft, but it’s not as good. Monday the 6th morning has a tiny 2ft SSE groundswell with a very long 18-second period, which will produce clean but very slow waves at this beach break. That long period stuff can be tricky on a beach, making the waves straighten out. Tuesday the 7th is a write-off with cross-shore wind and short-period, lumpy junk.

Wednesday the 8th morning looks like the second-best option. Offshore N wind at 6 mph, clean, with a 5ft S swell at 11 seconds. Combined energy is 658. That’s a solid, clean session for a Wednesday. After that, the surf drops away fast. From Thursday the 9th through to Saturday the 11th, we’re looking at knee-high to waist-high leftovers, mostly under 3ft, with poor winds and choppy conditions. There’s a stretch of a few days there with nothing worth getting excited about.

Sunday the 12th morning brings a return of better energy: 5ft S swell, 11-second period, light NNE cross-off breeze, combined energy of 826. Clean and punchy. That’s a good call for a Sunday. Monday the 13th morning is calm and glassy but only 2ft, so it’s a longboard or a grovel board session.

The following week looks patchy and inconsistent. Tuesday the 14th and Wednesday the 15th mornings have small, clean waves in the 2ft to 4ft range but nothing special. The real issue comes in the second half of the week. Friday the 17th afternoon shows a jumpy 6ft SSE swell (14 seconds) with a strong cross-onshore wind and combined energy of 1342, creating choppy, poor conditions. That’s kitesurfing weather, not paddling.

The standout for the whole period, and it’s a week and a half away, is Saturday, July 19th morning. Heavy rain, but offshore NW wind at 6 mph, a solid 6ft S groundswell at 12 seconds, combined energy of 1023. That’s excellent, powerful surf for experienced surfers. It’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on it, but if it lines up, that’s the best wave of the outlook. Sunday the 20th morning shows a massive 10ft SSE swell, but it’s flagged as too big for the break, so that’s one to watch from the cliffs, not the lineup.

-Rusty

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