Cave seasonal overview
Best Surf Season (October - March)
The surf year at Cave is built around the North Atlantic storm track. From October through March the Azores High relaxes, the Icelandic Low deepens and a seemingly endless conveyor of extratropical cyclones rolls toward the Portuguese coast. When the North Atlantic Oscillation trends neutral or negative, those storm tracks dip south toward Iberia and the percentage of direct W and SW swell increases significantly. That seasonal shift pushes the average swell height up to 7.5-8.5ft (2.3-2.6m) with 12-13s periods, delivering the powerful, long-period groundswells this southwest-facing beach is made for. East and northeast offshore winds - the key ingredient for clean conditions - are present 24-28% of the time, and the biggest days are heavy, pumping and occasionally XL. Water temperatures hover around 14-15°C, so a solid winter wetsuit and a step-up quiver are essential.
Fair Surf Season (April - May and September)
The shoulder months offer a more user-friendly version of Cave. April and May see average swells of 5.6-6.6ft (1.7-2.0m) and periods between 9.9 and 11.1s; the Atlantic is still sending rideable groundswell, but the consistency and power begin to fade. September is the reverse: the first real autumn lows and occasional tropical remnants bring a jump in period back to 10.5s and a recovery in surf size to 5.2ft (1.6m) while offshore winds improve to 27%. These months reward flexibility, patience and a good quiver of step-down boards.
Low Surf Season (June - August)
Summer is the doldrum period at Cave. The Azores High locks in, storm tracks retreat north, and the average swell height drops to 4.6-4.9ft (1.4-1.5m) with periods of 8.5-9.2s. The wind rose becomes dominated by strong NNW/N flow, and ideal E/NE offshore winds only occur 15-19% of the time. These smaller, shorter-period waves can be fun and rippable on a longboard or fish, but the lack of push means Cave rarely shows its true character until the Atlantic wakes up again in late September and October.