Recreio Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and here’s how it’s shaping up for our local sandbanks.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but the good news is there’s action on the horizon. The first few days are pretty ordinary, with small, weak east swell on offer. The water is sitting at 22°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Monday the 20th through Wednesday the 22nd, Recreio is dealing with a short-period, 4ft to 4ft easterly windswell. The combined energy is weak to moderate (around 129 to 347), and the wind is cross-offshore, keeping it clean but pretty gutless. It’s surfable, but you won’t be telling your mates about it.

Thursday the 23rd is a write-off with a solid cross-onshore breeze and a messy, choppy 3ft wave. Not worth the paddle.

Now, things start to get interesting on Friday the 24th. The swell drops to a tiny 2ft, but we get a glassy morning with a south swell. It’s weak energy (76), but it’s the calm before the better stuff.

The first real standout is Saturday the 25th. We’ve got a clean 4ft south groundswell pushing in with a 9-second period. The combined energy is decent (252), and the wind is offshore and light out of the north. This is a proper clean session for the intermediate crew. Expect clean lines and a bit of push.

Sunday the 26th is a danger zone. The swell jumps to 8ft to 10ft from the southwest, but it’s a nasty, short-period windswell (7 seconds) with a strong cross-onshore wind. The energy is very strong (798 to 1823), but the conditions are poor. This is strictly for the experts or the kamikaze crew. For most of us, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The absolute best on offer is Tuesday the 28th. We get a glassy, calm morning with a clean 5ft SSE groundswell running at a solid 10-second period. The wave energy is strong (633). This is a full-on, high-quality session. The wind is dead calm, the waves will have shape, and it’s the best window in the entire 16-day run. The only downside is that Recreio is an exposed beach break, so that long-period groundswell might make the waves a bit straight and fast, but with the glassy conditions, it’s still a winner.

After that, the first week of August sees a return to smaller, cleaner conditions. Sunday the 2nd of August has a promising morning with a 5ft east swell and clean offshore wind (energy of 541), but it’s a short period (6 seconds) so it’ll be a bit lumpy. Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th of August have smaller, glassy groundswells (around 2ft to 3ft) with long periods (13 seconds), which are clean but better suited for a log or a longboard.

So, to sum it up: don’t bother until Saturday the 25th for a fun session. Lock in Tuesday the 28th for the best of the bunch. The middle of the second week has some promise, but it’s small and long-period, so keep the expectations in check.

Rusty.

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