Reef
both
Level 5/10

Barra Kwanza

Luanda, Angola
🌀Strong rips🚫Pollution

Barra Kwanza sits at the mouth of the Kwanza River, about 80km south of Luanda. The rivermouth creates sandbars that shift with the seasons, producing both lefts and rights depending on conditions. The water can be murky after rains, but the waves can be excellent when the banks are in good shape.

10-Day Forecast
Today5
48
Fair
0.9m@15s
14km/h
Thu6
60
Fair
1.4m@13s
12km/h
Fri7
40
Poor
1.3m@10s
10km/h
Sat8
64
Fair
1.2m@14s
8km/h
Sun9
67
Good
1.6m@13s
7km/h
Mon10
61
Fair
1.5m@14s
10km/h
Tue11
65
Good
1.6m@13s
7km/h
Wed12
55
Fair
1.2m@13s
10km/h
Thu13
44
Poor
0.8m@18s
12km/h
Fri14
54
Fair
1.1m@16s
11km/h
5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: MorningAM 9 km/h · PM 17 km/h · Tide at 7am (1.3m)
Swell
0.9m
SW(218°)
Score: 5/25
Period
15s
Long period groundswell
Score: 25/25
Wind
14km/h
SSW(207°)
Score: 3/25
Weather
22°C
0.0mm59%
First light 5:51amSunrise 6:21amSunset 6:05pmLast light 6:35pm
Windswell0.1m@1sSecondary0.2mConfidence
100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...
0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
Showing forecast for today

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 5:51am–6:35pm · through highIdeal tide: 0.3–1.5m
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
°C
19°
23°
25°
23°
20°
20°
21°
23°
23°
20°
19°
21°
24°
22°
19°
19°
21°
23°
22°
19°
19°
21°
24°
23°
20°
16°
21°
23°
22°
19°
16°
20°
24°
24°
20°
16°
19°
23°
23°
20°
17°
19°
22°
22°
20°
17°
19°
23°
23°
20°
2m1.0
sec
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
18s
18s
18s
18s
18s
16s
16s
16s
16s
16s
swell
windkm/h
7g13
11g26
16g36
19g41
16g34
10g18
9g21
9g26
15g34
16g33
7g15
4g16
8g22
18g38
12g31
4g11
2g10
5g16
17g40
11g28
2g7
1g9
5g18
16g36
11g40
6g9
3g15
12g31
18g40
10g38
7g14
3g18
8g23
10g31
9g39
7g13
2g19
12g29
15g35
11g37
6g9
5g17
15g35
17g41
14g40
8g13
2g20
14g35
17g41
14g39
tidem
1:15am0.3m
7:40am1.3m
1:56pm0.5m
7:48pm1.2m
2:06am0.3m
8:37am1.3m
3:03pm0.5m
8:52pm1.1m
3:15am0.4m
9:55am1.2m
4:23pm0.5m
10:21pm1.1m
4:36am0.4m
11:16am1.2m
5:45pm0.4m
5:56am0.4m
12:30pm1.3m
6:55pm0.3m
1:06am1.2m
7:06am0.4m
1:22pm1.4m
7:51pm0.3m
2:04am1.4m
8:04am0.3m
2:13pm1.5m
8:43pm0.1m
2:51am1.5m
8:54am0.3m
3:00pm1.6m
9:26pm0.0m
3:40am1.5m
9:40am0.2m
3:43pm1.6m
10:06pm0.0m
4:23am1.5m
10:22am0.2m
4:26pm1.6m
Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

1:15 am
Low tide - 0.29m
7:40 am
High tide - 1.33m
1:56 pm
Low tide - 0.47m
7:48 pm
High tide - 1.17m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

48
Fair
Components
Swell Direction20/25
Swell Size5/25
Swell Period25/25
Wind3/25
Raw Score53/100
Adjustments
🌊 Tide+5
💨 Gusty Wind-5
⚠️ Weak Component-5
🚫 Undersized Capmax 64
Adjusted Score48/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score48
🌊 Optimal tide window

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to LAD, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
SW (225°)
Direction range
200° - 260°
Size range
1m - 3m
Ideal size
2.4m
Height multiplier
0.92×
Ideal period
14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
E (90°)
Offshore range
60° - 130°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid
Optimal range
0.3m - 1.5m

Water temp

25°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

5/10

Crowd level

3/10

Access: 80km south of Luanda. Rocky but good for all levels.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Barra Kwanza?

Barra Kwanza works best on a mid tide, ideally between 0.3m and 1.5m on the local tide chart. The tide chart above shows today’s strike window.

What wind direction is offshore at Barra Kwanza?

Offshore wind at Barra Kwanza blows from the E (90°). Anything in the 60° to 130° range grooms the faces; outside it, expect chop or bumpy conditions.

What swell size and direction work best at Barra Kwanza?

Barra Kwanza wants SW swell (200° to 260°) between 1m and 3m, with a period of 14s or more for quality waves.

When is the best time of year to surf Barra Kwanza?

The main season at Barra Kwanza is Apr-Sep. A secondary window runs Mar, Oct. SW swell season. River mouth setup.

How do I get to Barra Kwanza?

Fly into LAD, then allow about 90 minutes by road. 80km south of Luanda. Rocky but good for all levels.

What kind of wave is Barra Kwanza?

Barra Kwanza is a reef break, a peak with lefts and rights. Difficulty is rated 5/10.

Best Season

Peak: Apr-Sep

Secondary: Mar, Oct

SW swell season. River mouth setup.

Getting There

Airport
LAD
Drive time
90 min
Data quality
verified

Strike Log

Community Discussion