Surf spot guide · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
A beefy righthand point over a rock ledge at the west corner of Leblon, sheltered from west winds and holding swells well overhead.
Pontão do Leblon is the righthand point at the western corner of Leblon beach, where the Zona Sul strand runs out against the rocks below Vidigal. Over a ledge of rock and sand it turns out beefy, fast rights with hollow sections and a bowly, wrapping wall, working from around 0.6 m and holding south swells up to roughly 3.7 m. The corner is the sheltered call when west winds tear up the rest of the city beaches, which is exactly why every surfer in the Zona Sul has it marked. It needs real swell to run and breaks well on only about four days in ten, and once it does the takeoff gets critical over the shallow ledge. Entry is off the sand through a heavy shorebreak, with roadside and car-park parking on the beachfront and lifeguards, showers and surf shops close by. Expect a packed, unaccommodating lineup from first light; the mellower beachbreak peaks toward Posto 11 further east are the fallback.
Beefy rights wind off the rock ledge at Leblon's last corner, still clean while west wind wrecks the rest of the Zona Sul.
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Rio de Janeiro
A consistent sand-bottom a-frame off Leblon's Posto 11 lifeguard tower, catching nearly every swell that reaches Rio.
Rio de Janeiro
Rio's big-wave laje: a rare, heavy right breaking over a flat rock slab off Vidigal when winter south swells hit hard.
Rio de Janeiro
A fickle city beach break: hollow, punchy peaks shift along postos 8 to 10 when winter swell finally builds the banks.
+9 MORE →Whenever it breaks the corner is zooed from dawn till dusk, with a local crew that gives little away. Weekdays can run a touch lighter than weekends, but empty sessions are rare.
Urban, heavy, fiercely local
Wait for a solid S or SW swell of 1 m or more, the right only starts running properly with size.
Surf it on W or NW winds when the open beaches are blown out, the corner stays groomed.
Time your entry and exit between shorebreak sets, the inside dumps hard on the sand.
Expect the local crew in the water from first light and give priority on set waves.
If it is maxed out or too packed, the Posto 11 beachbreak peaks to the east catch almost every swell.
HAZARDS · KNOW BEFORE YOU PADDLE
Whenever it breaks the corner is zooed from dawn till dusk, with a local crew that gives little away. Weekdays can run a touch lighter than weekends, but empty sessions are rare.
Urban, heavy, fiercely local
Roadside and car-park parking, both free and paid, sit along the Leblon beachfront; enter off the sand at the corner.
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