Praia da Saudade

Best Surf Season (May - July)

Praia da Saudade faces east-southeast, so the Atlantic has to line up a very specific puzzle for the surf to turn on: swell from the easterly quadrant, but wind out of the west/northwest. In late autumn and early winter, that puzzle fits best. As the South Atlantic High starts to weaken and cold fronts push up from the Argentine basin, ideal offshore wind percentages climb to 34-37% in May, June, and July, while average wave periods stretch to 8.7-9.0 seconds. Surf heights remain modest, mostly 2-3ft (0.5-1m) with the occasional 3-5ft (1-1.5m) pulse, but the quality jump is massive because far fewer windswell-lumpy E/ENE days dominate. Water temperatures drop to 18-20°C, so a good wetsuit is part of the winter routine.