Praia da Joaquina Surf Season
Santa Catarina, Brazil · part of the Praia da Joaquina spot guide
Joaquina runs on the austral autumn and winter, April through October and peaking in June, when South Atlantic cold fronts and Southern Ocean groundswell fire south-to-southeast swell and groundswells outnumber windswells. Summer brings shorter-period east and northeast windswell, more onshore-prone and crowded.
Where the swell comes from
Two engines: South Atlantic extratropical cyclones and cold fronts off Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil (the staple south-to-southeast swell), and Southern Ocean long-period south-southwest energy wrapping into the window on the biggest days.
Historic swells at Praia da Joaquina
The Hang Loose Pro
The world-tour event ran in a clean east swell with perfect 8-to-10-foot lefts, putting Joaquina on the global surf map (Dave Macaulay won).
Winter cold-front pulses
Brazil’s big Joaquina days are cyclone-driven and well-filmed but poorly instrumented — sustained overhead sets on extratropical cyclone swells recur through the autumn and winter.