Algarrobo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's cookin' for Algarrobo over the next couple of weeks. We've got a bit of a slow burner, so let's get into it.

The first few days are a bit of a write-off, to be honest. We're looking at a pretty extended run of average to poor conditions with only marginal surf right through until the end of the second week. It starts off with some moderate sized swell in the 5ft to 6ft range, but the wind is a persistent cross-onshore breeze, kinking things up and making it choppy. The wave energy is there, hitting moderate levels, but the quality is just not happening. The water is sitting at 54°F, which is a bit colder than what you'd normally expect for this time of year.

Into Tuesday the 7th, the swell drops right back to around 4ft, and the onshore flow keeps it messy. The pattern for the next several days is the same: wind is mostly from the south to south-southwest, blowing cross or cross-onshore, keeping the surface bumpy. The swell height charts all the way through to Monday the 13th of July show waves dropping down to under 3ft at times, with the combined energy falling off – just weak, weak stuff. There really isn’t a session on offer worth paddling out for.

Now, look ahead to Thursday the 16th of July and things finally wake up. We're seeing the first proper standout of the whole forecast. That morning shows a clean 10ft swell from the SW with a 16 to 18 second period. The wind shifts to light, almost nothing – including a period of near offshore conditions – which will make for some clean, lined-up surf. The combined energy jumps right up into a very strong bracket. This is proper groundswell. That kind of long period, 18 seconds, means the wave will be packing a ton of power and that wide, heaving line. At Algarrobo, a reef and pier setup, this kind of long-period SW pulse is exactly what it loves. It's going to be a proper big clean session. But keep in mind, at 10ft this is serious juice – not one for the beginners. Experts only.

The day after, Friday the 17th of July, the swell is still solid at 7ft to 8ft but the wind switches back to a moderate cross-onshore at 12 mph, which will blow it out significantly.

After that peak, it dribbles back down. The weekend of the 18th and 19th sees the swell drop off from 6ft to 3ft with more unfavourable onshore winds. Then the final few days of the outlook, the 20th and 21st of July, are more of the same with small, weak, wind-affected surf in the 3ft to 4ft range.

So the bottom line: you’re looking at a solid week of meh with a big, clean, powerful window on Thursday the 16th of July. That’s the one. Mark it in the calendar, and be ready for a proper tow.

Rusty.

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