Algarrobo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

IMPERIAL UNITS

Hey, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Algarrobo. This is a reef/pier setup that’s very consistent, exposed to the SW, and it handles a solid south-west swell. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is pretty much what you'd expect for this time of year—nothing unusual.

The standout session is the early one on Saturday morning, the 29th. We’ve got a clean 6 ft WSW groundswell rolling in with a 12-second period, and it’s absolutely glassy—no wind at all. That combined energy reading is 1016, which is solid, punchy stuff. This is excellent for experienced surfers; the size is right up there, but it’s not so big it’s out of control. The swell direction (WSW) matches perfectly with what this break likes (SW), so expect some proper lines peeling down the reef. You’ll want to be on it early because that clean window doesn’t last long.

By Saturday afternoon the wind swings cross-onshore at 9 mph, and the quality drops straight into poor conditions. Sunday morning the 30th offers a little hope—5 ft WSW swell, 11-second period, with a light cross breeze—but it’s marginal. The combined energy drops to 627, and the wind is just enough to mess with the surface. The rest of the first week is a bit of a slog: Monday the 31st has 4 ft swell but moderate cross-onshore winds, Tuesday drops to 3 ft, and Wednesday the 2nd of September brings a longer period (18 seconds) but with a 16 mph S wind ripping across it, making it choppy and basically unsurfable.

There’s a significant gap through the middle of the outlook. From Thursday the 3rd right through to Friday the 11th, conditions are consistently poor or marginal—cross-onshore winds are relentless, mostly from the SSW at 9–19 mph. The swell sticks around between 3 ft and 6 ft, but the wind just ruins it. Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th see some long-period SW groundswell (16 seconds) with energy readings in the 800–900 range, which is moderate-strong, but the wind is again cross-onshore. For a beach-less setup like this reef, a long-period swell needs clean wind, and it’s not getting it.

The very end of the window, around Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th, we see a few glimmers—Thursday morning has a light onshore breeze and a 2 ft SW, but it’s marginal. Friday the 11th afternoon has 5 ft SW swell with a 11-second period, but a 12 mph S cross-onshore kills it. Honestly, after that Saturday morning glass, there’s nothing else that cracks a proper recommendation. The consistent nature of the break means it’ll come right again, but this 16-day run is mostly a write-off for surfing. If you’re desperate, Saturday morning is your only real shot.

Get it while it’s glassy.

Rusty

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