Pororoca • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (February - April)

If you are chasing the full Pororoca experience, February, March and April are your window. The Amazon rainy season is at its peak, pushing massive volumes of fresh water into the river system, while the equinoctial alignment of sun and moon in March produces some of the strongest spring tides of the year. That combination drives the tidal bore farther inland and makes it noticeably larger, more powerful and more continuous. The open-ocean swell data reads 0ft (0m) across the board - as always here - because Pororoca does not live off Atlantic groundswell; it lives off the lunar pulse. Water temperatures hover around 27.7-28.1°C and the warm, thundery air keeps the whole system charged. Catch the new and full moons and you will be rewarded with some of the longest rides you will ever log.

Fair Surf Season (December - January and September - November)

The equinox in September offers a secondary spike in tidal energy, which is why this stretch gets a fair rating. Rain is much scarcer, especially in October and November, so the river flow is lower and the bore generally lacks some of the push and easy-to-read shape of the autumn window. Still, the strong ENE/east-northeasterly trade winds are remarkably steady, the water is at its warmest (29.2-29.4°C), and the combination of larger spring tides around September can make the bore good enough for a session - especially near river-mouth sandbars where the wave is more organized. December and January are transitional months as the wet season re-establishes; they can deliver solid bores around big tides, but consistency is not yet locked in.

Low Surf Season (May - August)

From May through August the energy drops off noticeably. Precipitation decreases, the Amazon basin slowly drains, and the spring tides are less extreme, so the bore is often small, short-lived and hard to link. Persistent ENE/E trade winds, sometimes blowing 10-20kph, can put a bump on the surface and make sections close out. Ocean swell remains completely absent, and the surf is reduced to marginal micro-bore windows around full and new moons. For traveling surfers, these are the months to look for another trip; for the local crew, it is a chance to watch the river and wait.