Cacimba do Padre - surf spot statistics

Cacimba do Padre in Brazil is a powerful beach break known for its heavy, barreling waves, best suited for advanced surfers. The spot receives consistent swell year-round, but the best conditions are typically found from January through April. During these months, ground swells dominate (55-63% of the time), providing cleaner, more organized waves with mean swell sizes around 1.8-1.9m. Wind conditions are also relatively better in this period, with good winds occurring 27-38% of the time—though onshore winds still prevail, particularly in January and February. March stands out as the most favorable month, offering a solid combination of ground swell dominance (63%) and the highest chance of favorable winds (38%). From May onward, wind swell becomes more prominent, peaking from June to September (64-74% wind swell), which can lead to less predictable wave quality. Swell size increases slightly during these months (2.0-2.1m), but bad wind conditions become significantly more frequent, reaching 84-90% from June to December. The worst wind conditions occur from August to November, with good wind days dropping to just 9-11%. While the waves remain surfable, the strong onshore winds and mixed swells make consistency and quality harder to rely on. December sees a slight improvement with ground swells returning to 58%, but wind conditions remain poor (87% bad). Overall, the ideal window for surfing Cacimba do Padre is early in the year, especially March, when swell direction, size, and wind align most favorably.

July at Cacimba do Padre delivers consistent, powerful surf with an average swell height of 2.1m and a solid period of 9.9s, producing well-formed, punchy waves. The swell direction is predominantly from the SE to SSE, with the highest frequency of waves in the 1.5–2.5m range (55.6% combined for SE/SSE directions), offering plenty of overhead to double-overhead sets. The wave quality is best when swells come from the SE, where 21.08% of waves reach 2–2.5m—ideal for advanced surfers. Wind conditions are the main challenge: onshore ESE/SE winds dominate (47.57% combined at 10–40kph), and only 13% of the time are winds favorable for surfing (light/variable or offshore). Expect strong cross-shore winds in the 20–30kph range (27.86% ESE, 20.77% SE), which can create bumpy conditions despite the swell's power. Smaller days (1.5m or below) are rare (under 5% for SE swells), so expect consistent, larger surf. Ideal sessions are likely early morning or during wind lulls. Bring a step-up board—this is heavy, powerful beach break territory.