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
Today5
0
Poor
0.9m@8s
10km/h
Thu6
0
Poor
1.0m@9s
12km/h
Fri7
0
Poor
1.1m@9s
15km/h
Sat8
0
Poor
0.9m@9s
19km/h
Sun9
0
Poor
1.1m@9s
22km/h
Mon10
0
Poor
1.4m@11s
26km/h
Tue11
0
Poor
1.7m@9s
24km/h
Wed12
0
Poor
1.9m@9s
23km/h
Thu13
0
Poor
1.5m@9s
17km/h
Fri14
0
Poor
1.1m@8s
17km/h
Choppy 5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: MorningAM 5 km/h · PM 15 km/h · Tide at 5am (0.2m)
Swell
0.9m
NNE(12°)
Score: 2/25
Period
8s
Short period / windswell
Score: 1/25
Wind
10km/h
W(274°)
Score: 9/25
Weather
28°C
0.0mm11%
First light 5:43amSunrise 6:13amSunset 7:02pmLast light 7:32pm
Secondary0.3mConfidence
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: 9:00am–3:16pm · through highIdeal 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
24°
28°
30°
30°
28°
26°
28°
31°
31°
29°
26°
29°
31°
31°
28°
26°
29°
31°
31°
28°
25°
27°
30°
30°
28°
26°
28°
30°
30°
28°
26°
28°
29°
29°
28°
26°
28°
29°
29°
28°
25°
28°
29°
29°
28°
25°
28°
29°
29°
28°
3m1.5
sec
8s
8s
8s
8s
8s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
8s
8s
8s
8s
8s
swell
windkm/h
5g7
5g15
12g27
16g32
15g27
8g11
9g23
10g24
14g29
13g27
9g13
13g26
15g31
20g37
19g32
12g17
18g32
20g36
22g39
21g36
20g28
23g38
22g40
23g41
20g40
23g33
28g44
26g46
26g45
24g44
20g35
23g40
25g44
26g45
25g45
22g31
23g37
24g43
24g46
22g47
13g19
15g27
17g33
18g35
19g36
17g24
17g29
17g33
18g36
17g37
tidem
5:52am0.2m
12:10pm0.8m
6:30pm0.2m
12:40am0.7m
6:47am0.2m
1:00pm0.7m
7:20pm0.2m
1:30am0.7m
7:54am0.2m
2:10pm0.6m
8:30pm0.2m
2:54am0.7m
9:18am0.3m
3:45pm0.6m
9:42pm0.3m
4:30am0.7m
10:54am0.2m
5:18pm0.6m
5:38am0.8m
12:12pm0.2m
6:21pm0.7m
6:45am0.9m
1:12pm0.1m
7:16pm0.7m
12:56am0.1m
7:35am1.0m
2:00pm0.0m
8:06pm0.7m
1:42am0.1m
8:20am1.0m
2:36pm0.0m
8:50pm0.8m
2:25am0.0m
9:02am1.0m
3:18pm0.0m
9:30pm0.8m
Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

5:52 am
Low tide - 0.20m
12:10 pm
High tide - 0.79m
6:30 pm
Low tide - 0.19m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

0
Poor
Components
Swell Direction1/25
Swell Size2/25
Swell Period1/25
Wind9/25
Raw Score13/100
Adjustments
🌊 Tide+1
💨 Gusty Wind-4
⚠️ Weak Component-5
📉 Undersized Swell-11
🚫 Undersized Capmax 30
Adjusted Score0/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score0
🌊 Partly in the 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