Cardiel (Mar del Plata) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Cardiel.

We’re kicking off with a decent run at Cardiel (Mar del Plata). It’s a fairly consistent beginner-friendly spot, exposed to swell coming from the SSE. The water temperature is sitting around 50°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – nothing wild, but nice.

Tuesday morning, August 11th, is where we start. We’ve got a 5ft S swell, with a period of 11 seconds, so it’s a solid groundswell with some proper shape and energy. Combined swell energy is moderate (929), and with a light WSW cross-off breeze, conditions are clean. This one is a standout for the first week – glassy conditions are a major positive, and the waves should be well-formed. Expect good quality here.

Tuesday afternoon picks up a touch to 6ft from the SSE, but the wind swings to a cross-on SSE breeze. It gets a bit messy, and the quality drops off. Still surfable, but not as clean.

Wednesday morning, August 12th, is a dream. Flat calm – zero wind, glassy as a mirror. Swell is a clean 5ft from the SSE with an 11-second period and moderate energy (721). If you can get out early, this is a prime window. It’s not a huge swell, but the conditions will make it feel like a million bucks. Wednesday afternoon gets a bit lumpy again with the cross-on wind and a longer 14-second period that might make the wave a bit too straight for the beach.

From Thursday, August 13th, through to the weekend of the 16th, things go quiet. The wind is predominantly onshore or cross-shore from the NE, with choppy, lumpy conditions. Swell sizes drop from 4ft down to 2ft, and the energy fades from moderate to weak (down to 102). There’s a brief moment on Sunday morning, August 16th, with a glassy surface and a tiny 3ft E swell (period only 6 seconds), but it’s very weak (100) and ordinary. Not worth paddling out for.

The following week, from Monday, August 17th, through to late August, is mostly a write-off. Strong winds, onshore, choppy, and small. There’s a brief glimmer on Tuesday, August 18th, with a glassy 4ft SE swell (8 seconds) in the morning, but it’s marginal. Thursday afternoon, August 20th, has a clean offshore W breeze on a 3ft E swell, but the energy is weak (153). It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about.

The real standout is on Tuesday, August 25th. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The forecast is for a 5ft SSE swell with a very long 13-second period – proper groundswell with real punch. The combined energy is strong (911), and with a light cross-off SW wind, the conditions will be clean. This is the best surf in the entire 16-day window. Keep in mind, it’s a long-period swell, so at a beach break like Cardiel, it might pitch a bit fast. But for a solid surfer, this is a session you won’t want to miss. The following morning, Wednesday the 26th, still has some size at 5ft and a 12-second period, but the wind is a light cross-on, so it’s not as crisp.

So, bottom line: grab Tuesday the 11th morning or Wednesday the 12th morning for clean, fun waves this week. If you can wait, the 25th is your best bet, but that’s a fair way out, so keep your fingers crossed. There are long gaps of poor to no surf in between, but the quality windows are worth waiting for.

Rusty.

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