Praia da Saudade - surf spot statistics

Praia da Saudade in Brazil is primarily a windswell-dominated spot, with ground swells making up a smaller portion of the swell mix. The best months for surfing here are generally from May to September, when there’s a higher percentage of ground swell (peaking at 24% in May) and slightly better wind conditions. However, the mean swell size remains modest throughout the year, averaging around 0.7m to 0.9m, which suggests smaller, more forgiving waves suited for beginners or longboarders rather than powerful, hollow breaks. Wind conditions are consistently challenging, with bad winds (onshore or cross-shore) dominating 70% to 80% of the time across all months, though June stands out as having the most favorable wind conditions (32% good winds). Overall, the surf here is best when local windswell combines with occasional ground swell, particularly in late autumn and early winter (May-June), but surfers should expect variable wind quality and mostly small to medium-sized waves year-round. If clean conditions align, mid-year offers the most reliable opportunities, but it’s not a high-performance spot.

In May, Praia da Saudade offers relatively modest but surfable conditions, with an average swell height of 0.8m and a decent period of 9.2s, indicating consistent and well-formed waves. The primary swell direction is from the east to southeast, with the majority of waves (about 80% of occurrences) falling in the 0.5-1.5m range, providing manageable but occasionally punchy waves for intermediate to advanced surfers. Cleaner conditions are most likely when winds are light (0-10kph) or offshore, which happens around 30% of the time—typically from the northwest to north-northeast. However, winds can be variable, with stronger onshore breezes (10-30kph) from the south-southeast to east-southeast affecting wave quality during the rest of the month. While larger swells (over 1.5m) are rare, they do occur, offering occasional punchy peaks. Overall, May is a decent month for surfing here, especially when winds align, but expectations should be tempered for smaller, playful waves rather than powerful surf.