Guarda do Embau • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (April - July)

Guarda do Embau faces east, so the magic happens when the South Atlantic's winter storm track switches on and sends long-period swell into the E/SE quadrant. Between April and July, average wave periods climb from 9.0s to a peak of 9.6s, and the percentage of ideal W-to-NW offshore wind jumps from 26% in April to a yearly high of 39% in June. Long-period S/SE groundswell shows up with real consistency, pushing 4-6ft (1.2-1.8m) surf and occasional bigger 6-8ft (1.8-2.4m) pulses on the best winter swells. This is the crown-jewel window at this east-facing beach.

Fair Surf Season (March, August, September)

The shoulder months offer a mix of the old and the new. March still has a summer feel but sees the first E/ESE pulses gaining period. August and September keep the winter's size, even pushing average heights to 4.6-4.9ft (1.4-1.5m), but the wind machine becomes less reliable. NE trade winds and frontal winds take the shine off otherwise solid surf. Still, plenty of 4-6ft (1.2-1.8m) days slip through if you time the frontal passage well.

Low Surf Season (October - February)

From mid-spring through summer, Guarda do Embau goes into windswell mode. The dominant ENE/E swell rolls in at a short-period 8.0-8.6s, and N/NE winds become frequent, with ideal offshore flow dropping to 14-20%. The beach can still be fun on smaller 3-4ft (0.9-1.2m) days, especially with a morning W/NW breeze, but the long-period power that this stretch of Santa Catarina is known for is largely absent.