Sao Conrado • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (April - August)

The austral autumn and winter deliver the most consistent and powerful surf of the year to Sao Conrado. As the South Atlantic storm track becomes active, cold fronts sweeping northeast from Argentina throw long-period SE/SSE/S/SSW groundswell into the south-facing beach. Average heights sit in the solid 4-5ft (1.4-1.5m) zone with average periods of 10.6-11.1s, while offshore N/NNE/NW/NNW winds groom the surface on a regular basis, especially from May through July. This is the window when the beach break has real size, punch and the occasional 5-8ft (1.5-2.5m) set.

Fair Surf Season (March & September - October)

Shoulder months are more hit-or-miss. March shows the first rise in average period and SSE/S energy, while September and October still see decent S/SSE swell as the winter system slowly fades. The problem is wind: E/ENE trades grow strong in spring, and ideal offshore percentages drop to the 37-42% range, so the surf can be bigger than the surface quality. Chase the windows behind cold fronts and you can still find firing days, but don't expect week-long consistency.

Low Surf Season (November - February)

Late spring and summer drop the average wave height to 3-4ft (1.1m) and the average period to 9.5-9.8s, with plenty of 2-3ft (0.5-1m) days. The dominant ESE/SE/S swell is usually shorter-period and often mixed with E/ENE cross-shore winds. Still, when the offshore N/NNW breeze kicks in, Sao Conrado can be a clean, rippable little beach break - just don't come expecting winter's power.