Reef
both
Level 7/10

Palmeira

Sal, Cape Verde
🪸Sharp reef🌀Strong rips

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.

10-Day Forecast
Today14
0
Poor
1.2m@8s
15km/h
Sat15
7
Poor
1.3m@9s
8km/h
Sun16
0
Poor
1.3m@9s
15km/h
Mon17
0
Poor
1.0m@8s
18km/h
Tue18
0
Poor
0.9m@10s
21km/h
Wed19
0
Poor
1.1m@8s
21km/h
Thu20
0
Poor
1.3m@11s
21km/h
Fri21
0
Poor
1.3m@11s
27km/h
Sat22
0
Poor
1.5m@13s
26km/h
Sun23
0
Poor
1.7m@9s
22km/h
Choppy 5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: MorningAM 13 km/h · PM 17 km/h · Tide at 9am (1.0m)
Swell
1.2m
NNE(15°)
Score: 3/25
Period
8s
Short period / windswell
Score: 1/25
Wind
15km/h
NNE(16°)
Score: 1/25
Weather
29°C
0.0mm57%
First light 5:45amSunrise 6:15amSunset 6:57pmLast light 7:27pm
Windswell0.1m@1sSecondary0.4mConfidence
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: 5:47am–12:09pm · through highStrike window: 6:54–7:27pm · risingIdeal 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°
30°
31°
28°
25°
28°
33°
32°
30°
26°
29°
31°
31°
28°
26°
28°
31°
30°
28°
26°
28°
30°
30°
28°
25°
28°
30°
31°
29°
26°
29°
30°
29°
28°
26°
28°
30°
29°
28°
26°
28°
30°
29°
28°
26°
28°
30°
29°
28°
2m1.0
sec
8s
8s
8s
8s
8s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
8s
8s
8s
8s
8s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
8s
8s
8s
8s
8s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
swell
windkm/h
13g18
14g26
14g29
17g33
16g32
9g12
8g18
8g23
9g23
8g19
12g18
12g23
15g30
18g33
18g33
15g21
17g29
19g36
20g37
19g34
16g25
19g31
22g39
23g41
23g41
20g31
22g35
22g39
21g39
19g37
18g30
20g34
21g38
23g40
24g41
21g34
27g43
30g50
28g52
26g51
20g35
25g42
28g48
28g48
26g48
19g30
22g37
24g41
24g42
23g41
tidem
2:25am0.0m
9:05am1.0m
3:18pm0.0m
9:24pm0.8m
3:06am0.0m
9:45am1.0m
3:57pm0.0m
10:02pm0.8m
3:51am0.0m
10:24am0.9m
4:25pm0.0m
4:36am0.1m
10:56am0.8m
5:00pm0.1m
5:16am0.1m
11:30am0.8m
5:38pm0.1m
5:55am0.1m
12:10pm0.7m
6:12pm0.2m
6:50am0.2m
12:54pm0.5m
7:00pm0.2m
1:30am0.6m
8:00am0.2m
2:10pm0.5m
8:06pm0.2m
3:30am0.6m
9:30am0.3m
4:00pm0.5m
9:30pm0.3m
4:45am0.6m
11:00am0.3m
5:18pm0.5m
Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

2:25 am
Low tide - 0.00m
9:05 am
High tide - 1.01m
3:18 pm
Low tide - 0.00m
9:24 pm
High tide - 0.81m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

0
Poor
Components
Swell Direction0/25
Swell Size3/25
Swell Period1/25
Wind1/25
Raw Score5/100
Adjustments
🤢 Wind History-11
🌊 Tide+5
💨 Gusty Wind-4
⚠️ Weak Component-15
📉 Undersized Swell-11
⚖️ Penalty Stack Cap+6
🚫 Undersized Capmax 44
Adjusted Score0/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score0
🤢 Morning Sickness🌊 Optimal tide window

Plan Your Strike

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

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
NW (315°)
Direction range
280° - 350°
Size range
1.5m - 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
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?

Palmeira works best on a mid tide, ideally between 0.5m and 2m on the local tide chart. The tide chart above shows today’s strike window.

What wind direction is offshore at Palmeira?

Offshore wind at Palmeira 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 Palmeira?

Palmeira wants NW swell (280° to 350°) between 1.5m and 4m, with a period of 16s or more for quality waves.

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.

How do I get to Palmeira?

Fly into SID, then allow about 30 minutes by road. 30min from Santa Maria. Works on bigger swells.

What kind of wave is Palmeira?

Palmeira is a reef break, a peak with lefts and rights. Difficulty is rated 7/10.

Best Season

Peak: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar

Secondary: Apr, Sep

Winter NW swells. 30min from Santa Maria. Works on bigger swells.

Getting There

Airport
SID
Drive time
30 min
Data quality
verified

Strike Log

Community Discussion