Arpoador

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Arpoador (literally, the harpoon thrower) is an affluent neighborhood located on the southern zone of the city Rio de Janeiro, in a small peninsula between Ipanema and Copacabana.

[edit] Surfing

Arpoador is mostly know for being one of the best metropolitan surf spots Rio de Janeiro has. The rock outcropping creates stable left breakers up to 7 - 10 feet high (wave face measure, as Brazilians do).

Given its metropolitan location, crowds are ferocious and competitive. Given the fact that waves start to break against the rock on a good day, and that a strong riptide along the promontory creates a quick re-entry, the take-off point is very small and only locals (or visiting professional level surfers) have a shot at it.

Although real violence is somewhat unheard of, the levels of intimidation and the risk of escalation are always present as a great part of the surfers are (reportedly) drug dealers or involved in criminal activities from the numerous shanty towns close by.^{[citation needed]}