Cacimba do Padre • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (January - April)

The key to Cacimba do Padre lies in the overlap of long-period north-quadrant swell and offshore southerly flow. From January through April, the Northern Hemisphere winter storm track is still active enough to push N/NNW/NNE groundswell down into the equatorial Atlantic, while the South Atlantic high begins to weaken, the easterly trades ease, and the ITCZ shifts south. February and March stand out as the sweet spot: average periods hover near 11.5s, ideal wind frequency climbs to 37-47 percent, and the spectrum still contains useful N/NNE/NW/NNW energy. The result is clean, hollow, sometimes firing Cacimba conditions on the best days.

Fair Surf Season (May - June and December)

These shoulder months offer occasional windows but lack the full package. In May, offshore wind frequency is still near 34 percent, but the north swell has shut down; the mix is almost entirely ESE/SE trade swell, which is less efficient on this NNW-facing beach. June sees the trades strengthen and ideal wind drop to 18 percent. December is the reverse: the first N/NNE pulses of the Northern Hemisphere winter reappear, but wind windows are scarce at just 9 percent, so quality hinges on catching a rare day when the trade wind relaxes and S/SW flow takes over.

Low Surf Season (July - November)

From July through November, Cacimba do Padre slips into a long, wind-dominated slump. The South Atlantic high puffs up, the ESE/SE trade winds blow relentlessly, and ideal wind frequency collapses to single digits (1-8 percent). Average wave heights actually nudge upward through August, but the energy arrives from SE/ESE with short 9-10s periods, producing lumpy, cross-shore and onshore conditions with very few clean rides. Unless you are chasing a rare lull, this is the time to look elsewhere.