Cardiel (Mar del Plata) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve got the goods on the next 16 days at Cardiel, Mar del Plata. Let’s be honest – the forecast is a bit of a slow burn, with a whole lot of flat, ordinary days before we get a proper pulse. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

The first few days are a write-off. Thursday through Saturday, you’re looking at tiny, messy junk – swell under 4 ft, short periods, and cross-shore winds kicking up a chop. The combined energy is weak, sitting between 127 and 186 (weak). Not worth a paddle.

Sunday morning, 2nd August, things calm right down. Glassy conditions, swell 2 ft from the S at 13 seconds (groundswell), with combined energy of 199 (moderate). It’s surfable, but very ordinary – tiny and weak. Still, a dawn session might be okay if you’re desperate. The afternoon brings a jump to 5 ft SSE at 12 seconds, combined energy of 615 (moderate), but the cross-shore breeze messes it up.

Monday and Tuesday, 3rd and 4th, are marginal at best. The swell sits around 4 ft to 5 ft from the SSE, periods around 10-11 seconds, with combined energy of 381-468 (moderate). The winds are cross or cross-off, keeping it a bit lumpy. Not a standout.

We’ve got a long gap of nothing special from Wednesday 5th August right through to the start of the second week. The swell is small, under 4 ft, with combined energy staying below 265 (moderate). The winds are clean, but the waves are just too weak to get excited about.

Then, on Monday 10th August, we finally get a proper pulse. The morning session looks like the pick of the whole forecast: 4 ft from the SSE at 10 seconds, combined energy of 504 (moderate), with clean, light cross-off winds. That’s a solid, fun morning on the cards. But the afternoon is a different story – the swell jumps to 7 ft from the SSE at a very long 15 seconds, combined energy of 2158 (strong to very strong). This is too big for Cardiel, which is a beginner-friendly spot. The cross-chop will make it ugly, so only experts should even think about it.

Tuesday 11th August sees leftover energy: 5 ft to 6 ft from the SSE, periods of 12 seconds, combined energy of 655-880 (moderate to strong). The winds are cross-shore, keeping it a bit rough. Not a standout.

The rest of the second week – Wednesday 12th through Friday 14th – is mostly small and ordinary. Swell between 3 ft and 5 ft, combined energy dropping back to 281-451 (moderate). The best moment is Friday 14th morning: 3 ft from the SE at a long 14 seconds, combined energy of 348 (moderate), with clean offshore winds from the NW. That’s a glassy, small-wave morning for the keen.

So, the standout is Monday 10th August morning – that’s your best bet. For a beginner-friendly spot, the 4 ft with clean winds is ideal. The Friday 14th morning is a backup, but tiny. A lot of waiting for not much – but the forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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