Ibiza - Cala Nova Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been watchin’ the charts for this corner of the Med. I won’t sugarcoat it – the first few days are a total write-off for any kind of paddle surf. You’ll see a long stretch of flat, weak conditions. The first real whisper of ridable swell doesn’t show up until the Sunday morning of the 26th of July. That’s over a week of flat nothing. The water sits at 83°F on the 18th, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year.

Let’s start with the only break on offer: Ibiza - Cala Nova. The first decent look comes on the morning of Saturday the 26th of July. We’ve got a tiny 2ft swell from the NE with a period of 3 seconds – that’s a short-period windswell. The combined energy is a weak 5. Condition is glassy, so it’ll be clean as a whistle for a beginner. It’s rated a beginner break, and this is about as small and friendly as it gets. The swell is absolutely tiny, so don’t expect much more than a knee-high dribble. The offshore is NW, and the recommended swell direction is SE, so it’s not a perfect match, but glassy wind is a major plus.

The best of the whole 16-day window rolls in on Tuesday the 28th of July. The morning sees a 3ft swell from the ESE, period at 5 seconds, and a combined energy of 41. That’s moderate energy. The wind is a light cross-shore from the ENE, so it’ll be a bit ripply but clean enough. The swell direction (ESE) is a direct hit for the optimum SE direction. This is the most energy you’ll see all fortnight. The afternoon pushes that energy up to 50, but the wind swings to a cross-onshore and gets choppy. The Tuesday morning is the standout.

Wednesday the 29th of July pushes the swell up to 4ft from the ESE, with a period of 6 seconds and energy of 82. That’s getting close to moderate for the spot, but the wind is a fresh cross-onshore from the ENE at 22 mph, with a risk of thunderstorms. It’s lumpy and messy. For a beach-and-reef setup like this, that’s more of a kite-surfing session than a paddle surf.

After that, the last days of the run fade out quickly. The 30th of July has a clean cross-offshore wind, but the swell drops to 1ft and energy fades to 8. The 31st of July and the 1st of August are flat. The 2nd of August has a glassy morning with a 2ft NE swell and 27 energy, but the period is still short at 6 seconds. The afternoon has a moderate offshore from the NNW, but it’s only 1ft. It’s a long-range promise, but not a standout.

If you’re a beginner wanting a safe, clean splash, the Sunday morning of the 26th of July is your best bet. For the real standout, set your alarm for Tuesday the 28th of July – the morning session is the pick of the fortnight. The crowd at Cala Nova can be around sometimes, so bring a bit of patience.

Rusty.

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