Ipojuca.
Now
· updated 12 hours ago1.5m south swell at 12-15 seconds peaks Saturday under light southeast wind, building to 1.9m Sunday with moderate southeast wind. Monday sees the week peak at 1.9m south swell at 13-14 seconds under strong southeast wind easing to moderate by evening. Mid-week holds 1.8-1.9m southeast swell at 8-9 seconds with moderate east-southeast wind and heavy wind-sea chop, before fading to 1.3m east-southeast swell at 7 seconds under strong wind Friday, easing to light by weekend. Looks like Saturday dawn under light southeast wind will be the best window.
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About Ipojuca
Ipojuca is a Pernambuco coastal municipality 60 km south of Recife and the surf hub of the state. Porto de Galinhas is the headline village, better known for its low-tide reef pools than its waves. Maracaípe, the next beach south, is the open sand break that holds the swell. Praia do Cupe, north of the village, is the long beginner stretch. Reef breaks line the village seafront when a south-east swell wraps in.
This is a trade-wind coast at 8° south. The alísios, the south-east trades, blow most of the year, with August through November the windiest stretch. Working swell is south-east wind swell, 0.8 to 2 m at 8 to 10 s. The longer window is autumn, March through May, when the trades back off and north Atlantic swell wraps the coast at longer periods. West-north-west is offshore. Dawn before the trades fill in is the play.
Water runs 24 to 29 °C every month, so boardies and a rashie. The reefs at Porto de Galinhas cut on a low tide; Maracaípe is sand-bottom but pulls a longshore current as the tide drains. Crowds thin midweek and tourist-heavy on weekends, mostly bodyboarders and longboarders rather than shortboarders. Surf at dawn at Maracaípe before the trades fill. March through May is the cleanest stretch of the year, when the alísios back off and you can paddle out at any sane hour.