Beach
left
Level 4/10

Praia de Santa Mónica

Boa Vista, Cape Verde
🌀Strong rips

Praia de Santa Mónica is a stunning beach on Boa Vista's southwest coast, named after the famous California beach. The wave is a fun left that breaks along the endless white sand beach. When NE trade winds blow, conditions here are often offshore and clean. One of Cape Verde's most beautiful surf settings.

Praia de Santa Mónica surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast
Today4
42
Poor
1.1m@12s
8km/h
Thu5
36
Poor
0.7m@13s
15km/h
Fri6
45
Fair
1.0m@13s
24km/h
Sat7
30
Poor
0.9m@12s
27km/h
Sun8
20
Poor
0.7m@10s
18km/h
Mon9
58
Fair
1.1m@15s
18km/h
Tue10
70
Good
1.7m@14s
15km/h
Wed11
47
Fair
1.5m@12s
19km/h
Thu12
40
Poor
1.2m@10s
14km/h
Fri13
42
Poor
1.1m@12s
4km/h
Groomed 5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: MorningAM 9 km/h · PM 8 km/h · Tide at 9am (0.2m)
Swell
1.1m
NNW(341°)
Score: 13/25
Period
12s
Mid-period swell
Score: 14/25
Wind
8km/h
NE(54°)
Score: 25/25
Weather
28°C
0.3mm37%
First light 5:59amSunrise 6:29amSunset 6:00pmLast light 6:30pm
Windswell
—
Secondary
0.5m
Confidence
100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...
Swell1.1m @12s NNW outside window
Wind8 km/h NE offshore
SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore
Showing forecast for today · all day

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 5:59–8:00am · droppingStrike window: 11:36am–6:30pm · through highIdeal tide: 0.3–2.0m
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°
29°
27°
25°
28°
31°
30°
27°
26°
29°
32°
32°
28°
26°
31°
34°
33°
30°
26°
30°
35°
34°
30°
26°
30°
35°
34°
31°
26°
30°
33°
32°
30°
26°
29°
30°
29°
28°
25°
29°
31°
30°
29°
25°
29°
32°
31°
29°
2m1.0
sec
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
swell
windkm/h
9g13
9g19
7g19
12g27
5g11
10g15
15g25
13g27
18g31
21g34
20g30
23g37
26g44
26g45
23g39
21g32
25g40
31g51
31g52
27g50
15g26
15g28
19g36
18g36
21g34
17g27
17g28
19g35
19g35
20g35
11g18
13g25
15g30
17g34
18g35
13g23
16g30
20g36
23g39
22g40
12g21
13g25
14g28
17g30
17g31
7g16
4g18
3g20
3g21
2g22
tidem
3:21am0.9m
9:47am0.2m
4:07pm0.8m
9:47pm0.2m
4:30am0.9m
10:38am0.1m
5:03pm0.8m
5:16am0.9m
11:19am0.1m
5:43pm0.9m
5:56am0.9m
11:57am0.1m
6:23pm0.9m
6:36am0.9m
12:35pm0.1m
7:00pm0.9m
1:02am0.0m
7:16am0.8m
1:10pm0.0m
7:35pm0.9m
1:40am0.0m
7:50am0.8m
1:40pm0.0m
8:03pm0.9m
2:15am0.0m
8:23am0.8m
2:15pm0.0m
8:42pm0.9m
2:54am0.1m
8:55am0.7m
2:48pm0.1m
9:12pm0.9m
Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

3:21 am
High · 0.87m
9:47 am
Low · 0.19m
4:07 pm
High · 0.75m
9:47 pm
Low · 0.24m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

42
Poor
Components
Swell Direction0/25
Swell Size13/25
Swell Period14/25
Wind25/25
Raw Score52/100
Adjustments
🌊 Tide+3
💨 Gusty Wind-3
⚠️ Weak Component-10
Adjusted Score42/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score42
🌊 Mostly in the tide window

Plan Your Strike

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

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
SSW (210°)
Direction range
180° - 250°
Size range
1m - 2.5m
Ideal size
1.7m - 2.1m
Height multiplier
0.97×
Ideal period
14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
NE (45°)
Offshore range
20° - 90°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid
Optimal range
0.3m - 2m

Water temp

24°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

4/10

Crowd level

2/10

Access: Sandy SW coast. Offshore in NE winds.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of wave is Praia de Santa Mónica?

Praia de Santa Mónica is a beach break in Boa Vista, Cape Verde, that mostly breaks left.

What swell works best at Praia de Santa Mónica?

Praia de Santa Mónica picks up swell from the S round to the WSW, and it's best when it's coming straight out of the SSW. It starts working at around 1m and handles up to about 2.5m, with the sweet spot around 1.7 to 2.1m. 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 Praia de Santa Mónica?

A NE wind is dead offshore at Praia de Santa Mónica, and anything from the NNE round to the E 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 Praia de Santa Mónica?

Praia de Santa Mónica is at its best around mid tide, roughly 0.3m to 2m on the local chart.

When is the best time of year to surf Praia de Santa Mónica?

The most reliable run of swell at Praia de Santa Mónica comes Oct to Mar. There's a second window in Apr and Sep too. SW and NW swells. Sandy SW coast. Offshore in NE winds.

How cold is the water at Praia de Santa Mónica?

The water at Praia de Santa Mónica averages around 24°C, so boardshorts or a rashguard will do. It shifts a few degrees through the year, so check the season before you pack.

Is Praia de Santa Mónica good for beginners?

It's more of an intermediate wave, rated 4/10 for difficulty, so newer surfers are best off sticking to the smaller days. The lineup is usually quiet (crowd 2/10). Sandy SW coast. Offshore in NE winds.

How do I get to Praia de Santa Mónica?

The nearest airport on our list is BVC, then it's roughly a 30-minute drive. Sandy SW coast. Offshore in NE winds.

What other surf spots are near Praia de Santa Mónica?

The closest breaks we track are Ervatao (29 km), handy when Praia de Santa Mónica isn't working.

Best Season

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

Secondary: Apr, Sep

SW and NW swells. Sandy SW coast. Offshore in NE winds.

Getting There

Airport
BVC
Drive time
30 min
Data quality
verified

Strike Log

Community Discussion