Algarrobo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, grab a coffee. I'm Rusty, and I've been staring at the charts for Algarrobo. It's a tricky run we've got ahead of us, starting now on the 16th of August and stretching out for a fortnight.

The overall picture is a bit of a letdown, to be honest. There's some push in the water, but the wind gods aren't playing ball for most of the run. We've got a lot of days where the swell is there, but the onshore wind just chops it up into a mess. It’s not gonna be easy.

Looking at the first few days, it's pretty grim. Sunday the 16th is a write-off with a strong cross-onshore wind, even though there's some waist-chest high swell (3 ft) and a long period from the WSW (13 seconds). The water temp is 57°F, which is about average for this time of year, but that's about the only good news.

Monday the 17th shows a tiny window. The morning has some hope with light offshore wind (SW 5 km/h) and that same 3 ft, 14-second swell, but the forecast calls it marginal. I’d say it’s a gamble for a quick paddle at best.

We then hit a real quiet patch for quality. From Tuesday the 18th right through to Saturday the 22nd, it's a mix of moderate to fresh cross-onshore winds and building swell, but the conditions just keep it poor or marginal. The swell gets up to a solid 6 ft on the 19th and 20th, but with a short, choppy period and bad wind, it's a messy, bumpy mess. That 6 ft on the 19th (Wednesday) with a light cross-shore wind feels like the best of a bad bunch – the energy is moderate (1659), but the conditions are still just "marginal."

Now, late in the first week, we finally get a break. Sunday the 23rd is where you want to be. It’s the standout of the whole outlook. In the afternoon, the wind swings to a light cross-offshore from the NNE (15 km/h), the sky is cloudy, and the conditions are described as "clean." The swell drops a touch to 4 ft from the SW with a 9-second period, but with that clean surface, it’ll be a fun, rippable wave at Algarrobo. The energy is weak (259), so don't expect power, but you'll get some clean lines. This is the one to circle.

After that, the second week looks pretty slim. Monday the 24th has a tiny 2 ft swell with a clean surface, but it's just too small. The rest of the week is a blur of light winds and tiny, weak swells, often with an onshore element. The 27th of August (Thursday) shows a slight uptick to 3 ft from the WSW (13 seconds) with a light cross-onshore, but it’s still marginal and inconsistent. Late on the 30th and 31st, there's another pulse of bigger swell (up to 7 ft from the WSW), but the period is short (10-12 seconds) and the cross-onshore wind returns to chop it up. That 7 ft on Sunday the 30th morning with light winds might be worth a look for the more experienced crew, but it's a gamble.

So, to be clear: the best bet on offer is Sunday afternoon the 23rd of August at Algarrobo. Clean, glassy conditions on a waist-high wave. It's not going to be epic, but it’ll be the most fun you'll have in this outlook. Everything else is a fight against the wind or just plain flat. There are a few days with no real recommendation – from the 24th right through the 28th, it’s a wasteland of tiny or messy surf. But hey, that's the game we play.

Stay patient.

Rusty.

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