Buritaca Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into the outlook for Buritaca, Colombia. This is a beautiful river/point set-up that loves a good NE swell, which is exactly what we’ve got coming down the pipeline. The water is sitting at a warm 84°, which is pretty much spot on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The next 16 days are a bit of a slow burn. We’re looking at a few days of small, weak surf to kick things off. Friday the 4th through Sunday the 6th are nothing to write home about, with waves barely hitting 4 ft and the combined energy is weak at best, reading between 130 and 139 (moderate). The period is short at 6-7 seconds, so it’s going to be a bit of a bumpy, fat mess. The wind is mostly light and cross or glassy, but the swell just isn’t there yet. It’s surfable, but you’ll be working hard for nothing special.

We’ve got a solid gap of meh conditions until we hit Tuesday the 8th. The energy starts to build, with readings hitting 527 (strong) on Tuesday morning as the swell climbs to 7 ft from the NE, but the period is still just 8 seconds. By Tuesday afternoon, the swell is hitting 8 ft, and the combined energy is 524 (strong). The forecast says it’s too big for this break, and honestly, with a cross-onshore wind, it’s going to be a lumpy, chunky mess. This is a river/point, so it can handle size, but that short period and wind combo will make it a wrestle. Not the day for beginners.

The real standout window opens up on the weekend of the 13th and 14th. Sunday the 13th morning is the pick of the entire forecast. The combined energy is a huge 917 (strong), the swell is a solid 6 ft from the NE, and the period finally stretches to 9 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell. The wind is glassy, ENE at 6 mph. That’s the magic word. The river/point will groom that NE swell into clean, lined-up waves. It’s going to be a session you’ll remember. The afternoon holds up well too, with a clean cross-offshore wind and 6 ft waves. This is the best on offer, hands down. The following Monday morning the 14th is still okay, but the energy drops back to 304 (moderate) and the wind goes cross-shore, so it’s still surfable, just not as pristine.

After that, the second week fades. The 15th and 16th drop back to tiny 4 ft to 4 ft surf with weak energy, though there are some glassy moments. The 18th and 19th have a few clean windows with offshore winds, but the swell is tiny and weak, so don’t get your hopes up. The 19th is the last day in the window, and it’s small.

So, bottom line: You’ve got to wait almost a week for the good stuff. The early part of the forecast is a dud. The absolute standout is the morning of Sunday, September 13th. If you can get out there, do it. The Saturday the 12th afternoon and the Sunday the 13th afternoon are also very good, but the morning is king. The rest of the window is for the die-hards or people who just want to sit on a log.

Rusty.

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