Nearby Praia do Foguete 28 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
Afternoon. The NE builds through the day from Sep to Mar; some days peak earlier.
The wind
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: Afternoon. The NE builds through the day from Sep to Mar; some days peak earlier.
Typical strength
12-18 kt is the comfortable learning range; the annual figures are 11-18 kt average and 20-24 windy days a month above 11 kt.
Thermal or synoptic
thermal northeast sea breeze plus synoptic cold fronts
Also on record
11-18 kt on the annual average; in-season forecasts usually sit in the mid-teens to low 20s.
The quiver, in words
About 13 m for a 75 kg rider in 14-16 kt; no fuller quiver guide exists for the spot.
Direction to shore
Depends on which bank you launch from: N/NE and SW come in side-on at some points around Lagoa de Araruama and side-off at others.
Dominant direction
NE/ENE in the warm season; S/SW with cold fronts.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month48
- Feb, riders' month46
- Mar, riders' month58
- Apr52
- May58
- Jun30
- Jul50
- Aug65
- Sep, riders' month83
- Oct, riders' month66
- Nov, riders' month73
- Dec, riders' month56
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.
- 48%Jan24°
- 46%Feb26°
- 58%Mar26°
- 52%Apr25°
- 58%May24°
- 30%Jun23°
- 50%Jul23°
- 65%Aug22°
- 83%Sep22°
- 66%Oct23°
- 73%Nov23°
- 56%Dec23°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | From | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48% | 71% | 60% | 13.3 kt | ENE | 15:00 | 26.1°C | 24.3°C | 62 |
| Feb | 46% | 56% | 49% | 12.8 kt | ESE | 14:00 | 26.5°C | 25.6°C | 57 |
| Mar | 58% | 82% | 79% | 14.4 kt | ESE | 14:00 | 26.8°C | 25.5°C | 62 |
| Apr | 52% | 68% | 58% | 13.1 kt | E | 15:00 | 24.6°C | 24.8°C | 60 |
| May | 58% | 73% | 58% | 13.8 kt | E | 14:00 | 23.3°C | 23.9°C | 62 |
| Jun | 30% | 60% | 47% | 12.1 kt | E | 14:00 | 21.8°C | 23.3°C | 60 |
| Jul | 50% | 71% | 56% | 13.1 kt | SW | 14:00 | 21.6°C | 22.5°C | 62 |
| Aug | 65% | 87% | 82% | 14.9 kt | E | 15:00 | 21.7°C | 22.2°C | 62 |
| Sep | 83% | 93% | 92% | 18.3 kt | ENE | 16:00 | 23.1°C | 22.1°C | 60 |
| Oct | 66% | 81% | 74% | 14.9 kt | E | 14:00 | 24°C | 22.8°C | 62 |
| Nov | 73% | 88% | 82% | 15.4 kt | E | 14:00 | 24.6°C | 22.9°C | 60 |
| Dec | 56% | 76% | 66% | 14 kt | SE | 14:00 | 25.7°C | 23.3°C | 62 |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal. A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
lagoon
Standing depth
Yes; learners can stand for most of a session. Choppy when the wind is up.
Tides
None; the lagoon does not move with the tide, at Praia Seca or at Arubinha.
Temperature
25°C summer
Wetsuit
Boardshorts/rash vest most of the year; a shorty can be useful from June to September.
Currents
No current data exists for the riding area.
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
5 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: Small to medium by base. Grass and sand to rig on; how much public room there is depends where you go.
Somewhere else
Praia do Foguete, 28 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Launches are the school bases along the Praia Seca shore of Lagoa de Araruama, Wind Hunter among them. Small patches of grass and sand, with trees close enough to matter.
Space
Small to medium by base. Grass and sand to rig on; how much public room there is depends where you go.
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Book a first session at one of the bases on the lagoon; the water is standing depth but the launches are small and there are trees right behind them.
- Come between September and March for the NE/ENE breeze and ride the afternoon, when the thermal is up.
- Hypersaline lagoon: bring fresh water to rinse eyes and skin after the session.
- Ask which way the bank faces before you pump up; the same NE can be side-on at one base and side-off at the next.
- Stay on the tracks and off the restinga scrub; Praia Seca is inside an APA and the vegetation is protected.
- Pack a shorty for June to September; boardshorts do the rest of the year.
- Cold fronts bring S/SW wind and gusts; that is not the day for a first lesson.
Getting there
Airport
Rio de Janeiro Galeao (GIG), Santos Dumont (SDU) or Cabo Frio (CFB, limited flights).
Route
Drive or take the intercity bus from Rio toward Araruama and Praia Seca in the Regiao dos Lagos; the bus takes roughly 3 hours. Between Araruama and Praia Seca there is a bus and a ferry.
Transfer
160-210 by road from Rio on a normal day; 50-75 from Cabo Frio or the Araruama side, depending on the route.
Cost level
medium
Staying
Pousadas and holiday rentals in Praia Seca, some on the lagoon and some by the ocean; for hotels go to Araruama or Cabo Frio.
No-wind days
Lagoa de Araruama sightseeing, Praia Seca ocean beaches, Araruama/Pontinha waterfront, Cabo Frio, Arraial do Cabo boat trips, Buzios, local restaurants and beach walks.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kitesurf at Praia Seca?
The season runs from September to March, strongest from November to February.
Is Praia Seca suitable for beginners?
Yes. It is one of the better-documented beginner spots in the region, with shallow, flat lagoon water, a sandy bottom and several schools.
What is the wind like?
A NE/ENE sea-breeze wind dominates the warm season, with S/SW wind arriving on cold fronts outside summer; average speed is around 11-18 knots.
Are there kite schools nearby?
Yes, several schools operate on the lagoon, including Wind Hunter Kite Center, AKS Escola de Kitesurf and Upwind.
Last updated: August 2026