Reef

right

Level 6/10

Monte Leão

Sal, Cape Verde

🪸Sharp reef

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Monte Leão is a long right-hander on Sal Island that works on bigger NW swells. The wave breaks near the airport, making it convenient for surfers with limited time. The volcanic coastline provides a dramatic backdrop, and the wave offers consistent walls with the occasional barrel section.

Monte Leão surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today4

Fair

1.3mNNW@12s

11km/h

1.3m@12s

11km/h

Thu5

Poor

0.7mNNW@12s

18km/h

0.7m@12s

18km/h

Fri6

Poor

1.1mNNW@13s

25km/h

1.1m@13s

25km/h

Sat7

Poor

1.0mNNW@12s

28km/h

1.0m@12s

28km/h

Sun8

Poor

0.7mNNW@12s

22km/h

0.7m@12s

22km/h

Mon9

Fair

1.4mNNW@15s

22km/h

1.4m@15s

22km/h

Tue10

Fair

2.2mNNW@14s

18km/h

2.2m@14s

18km/h

Wed11

Poor

1.7mNNW@12s

18km/h

1.7m@12s

18km/h

Thu12

Poor

1.4mNNW@11s

14km/h

1.4m@11s

14km/h

Fri13

Fair

1.2mNW@11s

15km/h

1.2m@11s

15km/h

5+ days out, less certain

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's ConditionsToday's Conditions

Find Flights

Best session: MorningAM 7 km/h · PM 14 km/h · Tide at 10am (0.2m)

Swell

1.3m

NNW(347°)

Score: 12/25

Period

12s

Mid-period swell

Score: 14/25

Wind

11km/h

ENE(70°)

Score: 25/25

Weather

27°C

0.2mm38%

First light 6:00amSunrise 6:30amSunset 5:59pmLast light 6:29pm

Windswell

—

Secondary

0.3m

Confidence

100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell1.3m @12s NNW in window

Wind11 km/h ENE offshore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 6:00–8:36am · droppingStrike window: 12:18–6:29pm · 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

24°

27°

29°

27°

24°

27°

30°

27°

25°

28°

31°

28°

25°

29°

32°

31°

29°

26°

29°

33°

32°

29°

25°

28°

32°

31°

29°

25°

29°

31°

30°

28°

25°

28°

30°

28°

27°

25°

28°

30°

29°

28°

25°

28°

29°

28°

27°

3m1.5

sec

12s

13s

12s

15s

14s

12s

11s

swell

windkm/h

7g9

7g17

11g25

16g30

12g27

11g14

16g27

17g34

21g37

23g35

20g28

25g39

28g46

27g45

23g39

20g28

27g41

33g52

32g53

27g51

17g28

20g30

27g46

24g45

21g40

19g28

22g34

26g44

22g43

20g39

13g19

16g27

19g34

20g37

15g24

17g30

19g34

21g37

11g23

13g26

15g29

16g30

17g30

11g21

15g27

17g31

16g30

tidem

3:52am0.8m

10:21am0.2m

4:40pm0.7m

10:18pm0.2m

4:52am0.8m

11:10am0.2m

5:36pm0.7m

5:45am0.8m

11:55am0.1m

6:16pm0.8m

6:30am0.8m

12:30pm0.1m

6:50pm0.8m

12:50am0.1m

7:10am0.8m

1:03pm0.1m

7:30pm0.8m

1:30am0.0m

7:48am0.8m

1:40pm0.0m

8:00pm0.8m

2:07am0.0m

8:22am0.7m

2:10pm0.0m

8:36pm0.8m

2:43am0.0m

9:00am0.7m

2:36pm0.1m

9:07pm0.8m

3:23am0.0m

9:22am0.7m

3:10pm0.1m

Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

3:52 am

High · 0.80m

10:21 am

Low · 0.20m

4:40 pm

High · 0.66m

10:18 pm

Low · 0.24m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Fair

Components

Swell Direction9/25

Swell Size12/25

Swell Period14/25

Wind25/25

Raw Score60/100

Adjustments

🌊 Tide+3

💨 Gusty Wind-4

Adjusted Score59/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score59

🌊 Mostly in the tide window

Plan Your Strike

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

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Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell1.3m @12s NNW in window

Wind11 km/h ENE offshore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

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Spot Details

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction: NW (315°)
Direction range: 280° - 350°
Size range: 1.2m - 3m
Ideal size: 2m - 2.6m
Height multiplier: 0.97×
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

23°C

Wetsuit

Springsuit / 2mm

Difficulty

6/10

Crowd level

4/10

Access: Long right-hander near airport. Works on bigger NW swells.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of wave is Monte Leão?

Monte Leão is a reef break in Sal, Cape Verde, that mostly breaks right.

What swell works best at Monte Leão?

Monte Leão picks up swell from the W round to the N, and it's best when it's coming straight out of the NW. It starts working at around 1.2m and handles up to about 3m, with the sweet spot around 2 to 2.6m. Period matters too: aim for 14s or longer, as anything under 10s tends to be weak. These are the numbers our scoring uses, so treat them as a guide rather than a promise.

What wind is offshore at Monte Leão?

An E wind is dead offshore at Monte Leão, and anything from the ENE round to the SE keeps it clean. The morning is typically the best window, roughly 6am to 11am. Light winds from other directions can still be fine; strong offshores can make it hard to get into waves.

What tide is best at Monte Leão?

Monte Leão is at its best around mid tide, roughly 0.3m to 1.5m on the local chart.

When is the best time of year to surf Monte Leão?

The most reliable run of swell at Monte Leão comes Oct to Mar. There's a second window in Apr and Sep too. Winter NW swells. Long right-hander near airport.

How cold is the water at Monte Leão?

The water at Monte Leão averages around 23°C, so you'll want a springsuit or 2mm. It shifts a few degrees through the year, so check the season before you pack.

Is Monte Leão good for beginners?

It's more of an intermediate wave, rated 6/10 for difficulty, so newer surfers are best off sticking to the smaller days. Expect a moderate crowd (4/10) when it's on. Long right-hander near airport. Works on bigger NW swells.