Copacabana - Posto 5 surf guide
Surf: Copacabana may be the world's most famous beach, attracting the beautiful, bronzed local Cariocas and tourists to an endless party along Avenida Atlantica. The waves come to party far less often, but when they do during a strong SE swell and W-NW wind, big tubes pop up and slam the shorebreak at lower tides, making the bodyboarders happy and the lifeguards nervous. The SW corner offers more south wind and swell protection around Posto 6, up to more exposed Posto 5 and then Leme at the north end occasionally gets fast hollow, suck-out lefts.
Environment: When it's small and onshore then beginners will get a look in but otherwise it's for intermediates/experts when huge and barreling. This is the beach crowd to beat all crowds and the line-up will never be empty.
Surf: General: Before the beach was expanded in the '60s the surf was rumored to be good. Nowadays its protected curve picks up only the biggest of swells, but it can still produce some perfect, shore-pounding barrels on the odd day. Posto 5 in the center of Copacabana marks the area where big swells cross up and dump on the beach. Lefts and rights can barrel to the sand. On huge days it can cloudbreak way outside and roll in to explode in death peaks on the beach, almost like The Wedge in California. At the far east end is a long headland with a military fort, where mushy rights roll along for a hundred yards on big swells. That's called Posto 6.
Tides: Medium to high in the inside of Posto 5, and low when it's big enough to break at the outside shoal called "Baixio". Low tide is better also for the right hand point at the right side of the beach (Posto 6).
Size: Chest high-2X overhead, but can hold even larger waves at the outside shoal called "Baixio".
Wind: Calm or offshore from W to SW. Passing cold fronts from the South bring offshore winds.
Swell: E, SE, S
Bottom: Sand.
Paddling: Most days, breaks close the beach and the rides are not long.
Spot Rating: Often just an average wave but it has its good days.
Access: Easy. Right in front of Hotel Othon.
Crowds: Crowd Factor: Crowded when it's good.
Local Vibe: Competitive.
Environment: Water from Baia de Guanabara, big city runoff, most of the time. Worsens after heavy rains.
Hazards: Shallow sandbank in the inside.
Season: Fall and winter are best, but can break during Spring time depending on the sand bottom formation.