Reef

right

Level 8/10

Alibaba

Sal, Cape Verde

🪸Sharp reef⚠️Shallow🦔Urchins

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Alibaba is a world-class A-frame reef break on Sal Island, producing fast, hollow barrels over volcanic rock. The right is longer and more makeable, but the left offers its own rewards. When big NW swells hit, the wave transforms into a serious proposition, demanding respect and experience. One of the Atlantic's best waves.

10-Day Forecast

Today12

Poor

1.2mN@9s

26km/h

1.2m@9s

26km/h

Thu13

Poor

1.4mNNE@9s

17km/h

1.4m@9s

17km/h

Fri14

Poor

1.1mNNE@8s

10km/h

1.1m@8s

10km/h

Sat15

Poor

1.1mN@9s

9km/h

1.1m@9s

9km/h

Sun16

Poor

1.0mN@9s

9km/h

1.0m@9s

9km/h

Mon17

Poor

0.9mN@9s

15km/h

0.9m@9s

15km/h

Tue18

Poor

0.9mNNE@11s

21km/h

0.9m@11s

21km/h

Wed19

Poor

1.2mN@12s

20km/h

1.2m@12s

20km/h

Thu20

Poor

1.0mNNE@8s

12km/h

1.0m@8s

12km/h

Fri21

Poor

1.0mNE@9s

23km/h

1.0m@9s

23km/h

Choppy 5+ days out, less certain

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's Conditions

Find Flights

Best session: AfternoonAM 25 km/h · PM 24 km/h · Low tide at 1pm (0.0m)

Swell

1.2m

N(3°)

Score: 2/25

Period

Short period / windswell

Score: 2/25

Wind

26km/h

NE(44°)

Score: 1/25

Weather

28°C

0.0mm58%

First light 5:44amSunrise 6:14amSunset 6:58pmLast light 7:28pm

Windswell0.6m@3sSecondary0.4mConfidence

100%

Location & Conditions

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Swell

Wind

Showing forecast for today

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 5:44–10:37am · through highStrike window: 5:33–7:28pm · risingIdeal tide: 0.5–1.8m

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

25°

28°

30°

27°

25°

28°

31°

29°

25°

29°

32°

29°

25°

29°

32°

30°

26°

28°

32°

30°

26°

29°

32°

29°

26°

29°

30°

29°

26°

28°

30°

31°

30°

27°

30°

32°

31°

30°

27°

29°

31°

30°

29°

2m1.0

sec

11s

12s

swell

windkm/h

21g30

29g45

29g49

27g46

21g38

13g17

17g30

20g36

19g37

14g29

10g16

12g25

9g22

6g23

10g21

9g13

12g23

9g25

8g25

7g18

9g14

10g21

8g24

7g24

13g25

10g16

12g22

14g28

18g34

20g34

16g30

19g35

22g39

24g43

25g44

20g34

23g38

23g41

18g42

14g39

10g19

12g25

13g29

11g32

11g31

16g25

21g36

25g43

26g44

27g44

tidem

12:52am0.1m

7:30am1.0m

1:54pm0.0m

8:00pm0.8m

1:30am0.1m

8:18am1.0m

2:36pm0.0m

8:40pm0.8m

2:19am0.0m

8:57am1.0m

3:13pm0.0m

9:19pm0.8m

3:05am0.0m

9:35am1.0m

3:51pm0.0m

10:00pm0.8m

3:46am0.0m

10:15am0.9m

4:24pm0.1m

4:24am0.1m

10:54am0.9m

4:56pm0.1m

5:10am0.1m

11:30am0.8m

5:37pm0.1m

5:52am0.2m

12:06pm0.7m

6:12pm0.2m

6:42am0.2m

12:54pm0.6m

7:00pm0.2m

1:30am0.6m

7:50am0.2m

2:00pm0.5m

8:00pm0.2m

Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

12:52 am

Low tide - 0.12m

7:30 am

High tide - 0.96m

1:54 pm

Low tide - 0.03m

8:00 pm

High tide - 0.76m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Poor

Components

Swell Direction5/25

Swell Size2/25

Swell Period2/25

Wind1/25

Raw Score10/100

Adjustments

🤢 Wind History-17

🌊💨 Windswell-3

🌊 Tide-1

💨 Gusty Wind-3

⚠️ Weak Component-5

📉 Undersized Swell-11

🚫 Undersized Capmax 30

Adjusted Score0/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score0

🤢 Morning Sickness🌊 Slightly below optimal tide

Plan Your Strike

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

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Location & Conditions

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Swell

Wind

Showing forecast for today

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Spot Details

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction: NW (315°)
Direction range: 280° - 350°
Size range: 1.8m - 4m
Ideal size: 3.3m
Height multiplier: 0.97×
Ideal period: 16s+

Wind Requirements

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

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: low
Optimal range: 0.5m - 1.8m

Water temp

23°C

Wetsuit

Springsuit / 2mm

Difficulty

8/10

Crowd level

4/10

Access: World-class A-frame. Fast shallow barrels over volcanic reef.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Alibaba?

Alibaba works best on a low tide, ideally between 0.5m and 1.8m on the local tide chart. The tide chart above shows today’s strike window.

What wind direction is offshore at Alibaba?

Offshore wind at Alibaba 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 Alibaba?

Alibaba wants NW swell (280° to 350°) between 1.8m and 4m, with a period of 16s or more for quality waves.

When is the best time of year to surf Alibaba?

The main season at Alibaba is Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. A secondary window runs Apr, Sep. Winter NW swells. World-class A-frame. Fast shallow barrels over volcanic reef.