Algarrobo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break down what’s happening at Algarrobo for the next couple of weeks. This is a reef and pier break, wide open to the southwest, which is the direction we’ll be watching for most of the action.

It’s quiet to start, nothing really worth paddling out for until Thursday the 13th of August. Thursday morning looks like the first real opportunity. There’s a 4ft swell from the WSW with a long 16-second period pushing through. A light cross-offshore breeze from the NNE at 6 mph is keeping the faces clean. The combined energy is sitting at 760, so there’s some good moderate power there, and the call is “very good surf conditions.” Water temp is pretty average for the season.

Thursday afternoon drops off a touch, but it’s still an option. Friday the 14th is more marginal, though the afternoon does pick up a bit with a 4ft swell from the WNW, but the period drops to 10 seconds. The wind stays light and cross-off, so it’s not all bad.

Now, the session I’m really stoked on is Saturday the 15th of August. Saturday morning we’ve got 5ft of west swell with an 11-second period, and the wind is basically glass – a whisper from the NNE at 3 mph. Combined energy hits 842, so there’s some real push behind it. This is going to be clean, well-formed, and perfect for intermediate surfers. The afternoon stays glassy with a light southwest breeze. That morning window is the absolute standout of the first week.

Sunday the 16th is a write-off. A cross-onshore breeze from the south at 9 mph messes everything up. Monday the 17th gets even worse with strong cross-onshore winds up to 18 mph and a short 8-second period SW swell. The energy is 672, but it’s all wind-chop and lumpy. Kite surfers might love it, but for a paddle board, forget it.

Tuesday the 18th the wind swings cross-offshore from the north, cleaning it up, and the swell comes up to 6ft from the SW with an 11-second period. The energy jumps to a solid 1264. It’s still a bit windy, but it’s an option for the more experienced crew.

The big one for the second week – and it’s a bit of a wait, so keep your fingers crossed – is Wednesday the 19th. Morning brings 7ft of WSW swell at a long 15-second period, with light cross-offshore winds from the north at 6 mph. Combined energy is a strong 1834, and it’s being called “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That’s a serious groundswell for the reef. At this size, it’s too big for beginners, and with that long period, the waves will be heavy and lined up best on the reef.

After that, the wind turns onshore again from the 20th through the 23rd, with moderate to fresh cross-onshore breezes killing the quality. There’s a brief look on Saturday the 22nd afternoon with a 4ft SW swell and a light cross-off wind from the north, but it’s just okay.

From the 23rd onward, the swell dies hard, with waves under 2ft and energy dropping to as low as 95. There’s no real surf left in the window after that.

So the two sessions to really lock in: Saturday the 15th morning for that glassy, clean 5ft west swell. And for you experienced guys, Wednesday the 19th morning with that 7ft groundswell is the one to circle on the calendar. The rest of the window is a bit of a struggle or flat.

Stay frothy.

Rusty.

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