São Vicente 91.0
#627 of 5753 surf spots in the world · 🇵🇹 Portugal · Madeira · near Funchal
Works almost every day, no off season.
Works all yearIntermediate
Surf score91.0 /100
Surfable days97% of the year
Clean days38% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell50% period 11 s+
Typical size1.8 m 5.8 ft median
Water20°C a 2 mm shorty
Best time to surf São Vicente
The best time to surf São Vicente is January, February, March. The season runs Oct to Apr. In January the water sits around 18°C, so pack a 3/2 wetsuit, and the typical wave is 2.1 m. The nearest airport is FNC (29 km) and the nearest town is Funchal (24 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 97% | 62% | 2.1 m | 18°C | 3/2 |
| Feb | 95% | 58% | 2.6 m | 17°C | 3/2 |
| Mar | 95% | 53% | 2.4 m | 16°C | 3/2 |
| Apr | 97% | 49% | 2.0 m | 17°C | 3/2 |
| May | 99% | 23% | 1.6 m | 18°C | 3/2 |
| Jun | 99% | 16% | 1.3 m | 20°C | 2mm |
| Jul | 97% | 5% | 1.2 m | 22°C | 2mm |
| Aug | 97% | 10% | 1.3 m | 23°C | vest |
| Sep | 98% | 31% | 1.5 m | 23°C | vest |
| Oct | 99% | 51% | 1.8 m | 22°C | vest |
| Nov | 95% | 53% | 2.3 m | 21°C | 2mm |
| Dec | 97% | 47% | 2.4 m | 19°C | 2mm |
Why 91.0
Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and weighted; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world is 100.
Consistency 26%
26.0
Clean days 24%
23.1
Groundswell 12%
9.9
Season spread 10%
10.0
Wave size 8%
5.3
Water comfort 10%
4.8
Access 10%
9.5
The detail
Faces 0° with 47% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 77% of days. Mean peak period 11.1 s. Days over 3 m: 11%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 17%. Months that work: 12 of 12. Coordinates 32.809, -17.050 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
Faja da Areia🇵🇹 Portugal · score 90.9Ponta Delgada🇵🇹 Portugal · score 91.3Contreira🇵🇹 Portugal · score 79.9Ribeira da Janela🇵🇹 Portugal · score 80.1
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