Reef

both

Level 7/10

Palmeira

Sal, Cape Verde

🪸Sharp reef🌀Strong rips

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Palmeira is a powerful reef break near the fishing port on Sal's west coast. The wave handles bigger swells than many other spots on the island, producing heavy barrels when conditions align. The fishing village atmosphere adds authenticity to the experience.

Palmeira surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today20

Poor

1.3mNNE@9s

20km/h

1.3m@9s

20km/h

Mon21

Poor

1.1mN@10s

18km/h

1.1m@10s

18km/h

Tue22

Poor

0.6mNNE@9s

25km/h

0.6m@9s

25km/h

Wed23

Poor

1.2mNNE@9s

26km/h

1.2m@9s

26km/h

Thu24

Poor

1.2mN@15s

22km/h

1.2m@15s

22km/h

Fri25

Poor

1.3mN@12s

27km/h

1.3m@12s

27km/h

Sat26

Poor

0.9mNE@8s

16km/h

0.9m@8s

16km/h

Sun27

Poor

1.2mN@13s

23km/h

1.2m@13s

23km/h

Mon28

Poor

1.0mNNW@12s

23km/h

1.0m@12s

23km/h

Tue29

Poor

1.0mNNW@13s

16km/h

1.0m@13s

16km/h

Choppy 5+ days out, less certain

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's Conditions

Find Flights

Best session: MorningAM 19 km/h · PM 21 km/h · Tide at 9am (0.3m)

Swell

1.3m

NNE(13°)

Score: 5/25

Period

Short period / windswell

Score: 2/25

Wind

20km/h

NE(39°)

Score: 1/25

Weather

28°C

0.0mm69%

First light 5:50amSunrise 6:20amSunset 6:29pmLast light 6:59pm

Windswell0.3m@2sSecondary0.2mConfidence

100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell

Wind

Showing forecast for today

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

No ideal tide during daylight todayIdeal tide: 0.5–2.0m

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°

29°

27°

26°

27°

30°

28°

26°

28°

31°

30°

28°

26°

29°

31°

28°

27°

29°

32°

31°

29°

27°

29°

31°

30°

28°

27°

29°

31°

30°

29°

26°

27°

28°

29°

28°

26°

28°

29°

27°

26°

25°

28°

29°

28°

2m1.0

sec

10s

15s

12s

13s

12s

13s

swell

windkm/h

17g25

21g34

22g39

21g39

20g33

11g15

19g30

20g37

20g36

17g30

22g31

26g41

24g43

27g46

26g42

23g34

24g39

28g47

27g48

27g46

17g28

21g34

25g44

24g46

19g40

15g25

22g37

28g53

36g59

27g53

6g33

10g29

17g30

23g39

25g44

21g35

23g40

24g43

23g41

22g40

17g31

24g39

27g44

25g44

23g42

17g36

19g34

18g33

15g35

12g33

tidem

1:30am0.5m

9:00am0.3m

3:00pm0.4m

8:50pm0.3m

4:00am0.6m

10:45am0.2m

5:10pm0.5m

10:30pm0.3m

5:15am0.6m

11:30am0.2m

5:45pm0.6m

6:00am0.7m

12:12pm0.2m

6:30pm0.6m

6:37am0.8m

12:52pm0.1m

7:00pm0.7m

12:38am0.2m

7:12am0.9m

1:24pm0.1m

7:30pm0.8m

1:23am0.1m

7:36am0.9m

1:57pm0.0m

8:03pm0.8m

1:51am0.0m

8:13am0.9m

2:20pm0.0m

8:30pm0.8m

2:25am0.0m

8:46am0.9m

2:53pm0.0m

9:02pm0.9m

Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

1:30 am

High tide - 0.54m

9:00 am

Low tide - 0.26m

3:00 pm

High tide - 0.43m

8:50 pm

Low tide - 0.26m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Poor

Components

Swell Direction0/25

Swell Size5/25

Swell Period2/25

Wind1/25

Raw Score8/100

Adjustments

Wind History-2

🌊 Tide-1

💨 Gusty Wind-3

⚠️ Weak Component-15

📉 Undersized Swell-10

⚖️ Penalty Stack Cap+5

🚫 Undersized Capmax 64

Adjusted Score0/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score0

🌊 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: 1.5m - 4m
Ideal size: 2.6m - 3.4m
Height multiplier: 0.97×
Ideal period: 16s+

Wind Requirements

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

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: mid
Optimal range: 0.5m - 2m

Water temp

23°C

Wetsuit

Springsuit / 2mm

Difficulty

7/10

Crowd level

3/10

Access: 30min from Santa Maria. Works on bigger swells.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Palmeira?

The Palmeira profile favors mid tide, ideally between 0.5m and 2m on the local tide chart. Compare this preference with the forecast tide and local conditions before choosing a session.

What wind direction is offshore at Palmeira?

The Palmeira profile uses wind from E (90°) as its preferred direction, with an offshore range of 60° to 130°. Wind speed matters too: light winds outside that range can still produce surfable conditions, while strong offshore winds can make takeoffs difficult.

What swell size and direction work best at Palmeira?

The Palmeira scoring profile favors swell from NW (280° to 350°), a swell-height range of 1.5m to 4m, and a reference period of 16s. These are model inputs, not guaranteed breaking-wave heights or a promise that the surf will suit every ability.

When is the best time of year to surf Palmeira?

The main season at Palmeira is Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. A secondary window runs Apr, Sep. Winter NW swells. 30min from Santa Maria. Works on bigger swells.