Cacimba do Padre - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (January - April)

Summer and early autumn deliver the most promising conditions at Cacimba do Padre. Average swell heights hover around 1.7m with periods of 11-12s, offering the longest, most powerful groundswell of the year. While the dominant easterly trade winds still blow, this is the window with the highest frequency of southerly offshore winds (S, SSW, SW), peaking at 48% ideal in April. When a cold front pushes through the South Atlantic, it flips the wind to a clean offshore direction and can also generate rare northwest swell that lights up the left-hand point. The combination of long-period energy and occasional glassy mornings makes this the prime time for quality surf. Despite the majority of swell coming from the east, the few days with north or northwest swell are world-class.

Fair Surf Season (May & December)

May and December serve as transitional months. May sees a dramatic shift to SSE and SE swell as the trade wind regime strengthens, with average periods dropping to 10.6s. Ideal wind drops to 34%, but there are still sporadic windows when the trades ease and southerly breezes appear. December marks the beginning of the recovery: periods climb back above 11s, and a small but significant increase in north-NNW swell (2% of total) offers a glimmer of hope. Surfable days exist, but consistency is low.

Low Surf Season (June - November)

Winter and spring are dominated by the relentless southeast trade winds. From June through November, onshore ESE to SE winds blow over 95% of the time, leaving the surface choppy and bumpy. Swell periods average 9.6-10.0s, indicating short-period, wind-driven sea state. Swell heights still average 1.8-2.0m, but the lack of offshore wind and the abundance of east-southeast swell (which is side-onshore for this NNW-facing beach) make these months largely a write-off for quality surfing. July, August, September, and October are the worst, with ideal wind percentages below 8% and often 1-2%. Only the most desperate and dedicated will find anything clean during this extended low season.

January: Summer Swell with Occasional Gems

January offers the highest average wave period of the year at 11.7s, signaling long-period swell arriving from distant storms. Average height sits at 1.7m, with most energy falling in the 1.5-2m range (pumping, heavy). Swell direction is predominantly from the east (E 23%, ENE 21%), but a notable 15% comes from NNE and 3% from N, hinting at the potential for north swell. However, the wind is a real challenge – 53% comes from the ESE at 20-30kph, blowing onshore and ruining wave face quality. Only 29% of the time do we get ideal offshore winds from the south. When a southerly wind shift coincides with a north-northwesterly groundswell, the point at Cacimba fires with long, tidy lefts. Otherwise, expect bumpy, lumpy conditions from the trade wind chop. Keep a close eye on synoptic charts for those rare cold front passages.