Overview
Rio Mearim is a river-mouth wave that breaks over sand and peels both left and right. It's a tidal bore that rolls upriver, breaking in as many as 12 separate sections on a 1h30 journey from the rivermouth mudbank known as Cement Mix up to the village of Arari. The size changes dramatically along the way, ranging from an 8 ft (2.5 m) wall of whitewater down to a tiny but superclean 1 to 2 ft right.
When It Works
The wave draws swell from southwest through southeast (SW-SE), with northeast (NE) swell the best match. It works from 0.6 m / 2 ft to 2.4 m / 8 ft and tends to be moderately consistent. Timing is everything here: over a roughly five-day window, the surf comes early, showing up between about 5-8am and 7-10am.
Wind and Tide
Tide is the key factor. Low tide is the optimal call, and a rising tide is generally the better one to be on.
Local Tips
This is an approachable wave that suits beginners, and the lineup stays fairly quiet.
Access
The bore runs all the way up to the village of Arari, about a three-hour drive away. That end tends to serve up the cleanest bore of all, thanks to better weather and a narrower river.
