Surf Forecasts:
Recreio surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 15 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 14s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 13s period, S swell with 2,190 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 15 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 14s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Recreio this week:
The surf forecast for Recreio over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.4m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Recreio in the next 16 days are 2.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.1m 8s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (-03) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Recreio over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, friends, it’s Rusty here. Looking at the next couple of weeks for our stretch, it’s a story of two halves. We’ve got a solid window of surf kicking off right away this weekend, then a bit of a lull mid-week, before some bigger, more powerful energy shows up late in the game. The water’s sitting around 73.9°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, so that’s a little bonus.
First up, we’re heading to Recreio on Saturday morning, the 15th. There’s a solid 8.2ft of south-southeast groundswell pushing in, with that 13-second period giving it some real punch. The wind is light and offshore, which is just what the doctor ordered. This is looking like the standout of the first week—big, clean, and powerful. You’ll want your step-up board. The wave energy is strong, with the combined swell energy reading 2039, so there’s plenty of push behind it. Just be aware, it’s likely to be busy out there, as it often is at this spot.
That same swell hangs around for the Saturday afternoon session, with the energy even ramping up to 3447. The wind picks up a bit but is still cross-offshore, keeping things clean. It’s still big and powerful, so again, this is one for the more experienced surfers in the water.
We get a bit of a breather Sunday morning the 16th. The swell drops to a more manageable 4.3ft from the south, with clean conditions and light winds. It's not as exciting as Saturday, but it’s a good one for a few fun ones before the next pulse.
The bigger, disorganized swell from the east shows up Sunday afternoon with a period of only 7 seconds. It’s 7.2ft and bumpy, and with that short period, it’s not going to be pretty. The forecast flags it as too big and messy for this break. It looks like more of a washing machine than a surfable wave.
Monday the 17th, we’ve got a touch more easterly swell, 6.9ft in the morning with offshore winds, but that short period is still there. The energy is moderate at 1069, but it's still a bit unruly. As the day goes on, it drops to 5.2ft and cleans up a little in the afternoon. You can get some waves, but you’ll be working for them.
We settle into a more consistent, smaller pattern on Tuesday the 18th. Mornings see a clean 5.6ft from the east with light northeasterly offshore winds. This is a much better shape, and for a Tuesday, it should be a bit less crowded. The afternoon stays clean with 4.9ft on offer. This is a good, solid day for logging some quality time in the water.
Wednesday the 19th is when it starts to go flat. The swell drops right off to under 3ft, and the conditions turn ordinary. The combined energy falls below 100, so there’s just nothing doing. This is where we hit a lull of a couple of days.
We get a small rebound on Thursday the 20th with 4.6ft from the east in the morning. It’s still short period, but clean and rideable. Then Friday the 21st is a write-off. Onshore winds blow it out with poor conditions.
The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd is nothing to write home about. Saturday the 22nd has a small 3.3ft swell in the morning but it’s clean, then it gets messy in the afternoon. Sunday the 23rd brings a building 6.6ft south-southwest swell, but it’s accompanied by rain and cross-onshore winds, so it’s not going to be clean.
Now, here's where the long-range promise comes in. The standout period of the whole 16-day window looks to be Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th. A serious south swell is slated to fill in, with heights reaching 9.8ft. The period is a proper 13 seconds, so it's a powerful groundswell. The wind is light or even glassy and offshore, which means it could be absolutely firing at Recreio. The combined energy for Monday is massive, up in the 2715 range, so it’s going to be a big, powerful ocean. This is one for the experts only, as it’ll be well overhead and pushing hard. It’s still over a week away, so keep an eye on it, but it’s got all the ingredients to be the pick of the fortnight. Tuesday the 25th is similar, with 8.2ft but glassy conditions in the morning. That’s a huge opportunity for a really clean, big day.
After that, it looks like things back off again. The wind turns onshore on Tuesday afternoon, and Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th look messy and marginal. There’s a small chance of a clean-up later on the 29th, with a glassy 3.3ft south swell on Saturday morning, but it’s not the same league as that big pulse on the 24th and 25th.
So, to sum it up: get on it this Saturday for the first big, clean swell. Then keep your schedule clear for Monday the 24
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 26°C on Mon morning, min 19°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 34°C on Thu morning, min 20°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | S 12 | S 12 | ESE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
1237 | 2091 | 2022 | 2162 | 735 | 438 | 461 | 642 | 526 | 302 | 507 | 346 | 256 | 233 | 83 | 81 | 107 | 192 | 124 | 377 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross | off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:58PM0.96m | 3:27AM1.07m | 4:13PM0.91m | 3:59AM1.05m | 4:29PM0.88m | 4:32AM0.99m | 4:47PM0.85m | 5:08AM0.90m | 5:07PM0.81m | 5:47AM0.80m | 5:30PM0.76m | 6:39AM0.70m | 5:56PM0.69m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:55PM0.29m | 10:21AM0.03m | 10:22PM0.27m | 10:52AM0.13m | 10:51PM0.25m | 11:23AM0.24m | 11:23PM0.25m | 11:55AM0.35m | 00:02AM0.28m | 12:35PM0.45m | 00:56AM0.31m | 1:44PM0.54m | 2:18AM0.35m | |||||||
— | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | |
5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:38 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 24 | 25 | 21 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 29 | 32 | 28 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 34 | 34 | 30 |
Feels °C | 26 | 22 | 24 | 20 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 29 | 31 | 29 | 32 | 28 | 28 | 32 | 32 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 14 | SSE 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | E 8 | S 11 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 7 | S 10 | E 7 | E 7 | SSW 10 | E 8 |
1237 | 2091 | 2022 | 1285 | 735 | 438 | 292 | 191 | 355 | 146 | 507 | 198 | 164 | 124 | 83 | 8 | 107 | 121 | 20 | 198 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | — | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | — | ESE 12 | S 11 | — | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 10 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SSW 9 |
6 | 7 | 17 | — | 28 | 30 | — | 15 | 188 | — | 76 | 48 | 30 | 15 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 27 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 13 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 10 | S 9 | S 12 | S 18 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 4 | — | SSE 13 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | — | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | — | E 7 | — | E 7 | E 7 | E 8 |
— | 37 | — | 2162 | 373 | 319 | 461 | 642 | 526 | 302 | — | 346 | 256 | 233 | — | 81 | — | 192 | 124 | 377 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 42 | 12 | 12 | 129 | 0 | 0 | 129 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 78 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Rio de Janeiro | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Brazil | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Recreio Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Recreio provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Recreio can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Recreio surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Recreio) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Recreio may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Recreio is 23 km (14 miles) from the very large city of Nilopolis. If you plan a holiday in Rio de Janeiro, look for hotels and other accommodation in Nilopolis. Nilopolis has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as cheap car hire and transport links.











