Cartagena Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks. Rusty here. Let's take a look at what's cooking for Cartagena. This is a consistent sandbar that's wide open to the swell, with the best waves coming from the SW. Water temp is about 54°, which is a bit cooler than usual for this time of year.

We’ve got a solid run of surf starting Monday the 13th. The standout is that Monday afternoon. It's glassy, with a solid 8ft WSW groundswell. The period is a very long 16 seconds, and the energy is pumping hard at 3269. This is clean, powerful, and lined up. But that size and long period means it's for experienced surfers only. The crowds can be around sometimes, but the quality will be worth it. That's the best session on offer.

Tuesday the 14th keeps the goods coming. Both the morning and afternoon have clean 8ft to 8ft WSW swell, with a period around 13 seconds, and a light cross-off breeze. The energy is still strong (2354 and 1816). Still excellent, just a touch more wind on it than Monday.

Wednesday the 15th sees a drop in size. The morning is a clean 4ft W swell with an 11-second period, and the afternoon goes glassy with a 5ft W swell. Energy drops to moderate (605 and 539). It’s good, clean fun, but the real power is gone.

Then we hit a rough patch. From Thursday the 16th through Sunday the 19th, forget it. Strong winds from the N (22-28 mph) and poor conditions ruin the surf. The swell is there but the wind is howling, and you'll see rain and thunderstorms. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session.

Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st are marginal. The swell is small (3ft to 3ft W) and the winds are light, but the conditions are ordinary. You might get a few, but it's not worth getting excited about.

Things start to look up on Wednesday the 22nd afternoon. A clean 4ft W swell with a 10-second period and light offshore wind. It's surfable.

The next real standout is Thursday the 23rd morning. The swell jumps back up to 6ft from the WSW at a 12-second period, with a light cross-off breeze. The combined energy is strong at 1298. This is excellent for experienced surfers, and the direction is right on the money.

Friday the 24th is a mixed bag. The morning is clean with a 5ft WSW swell, but the afternoon gets a cross-onshore wind that makes it choppy.

Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th are a story of two halves. Saturday is small and ordinary. But Sunday the 26th morning is another cracker. It's glassy, with an 8ft WSW swell and a very long 14-second period. The energy is 2517. This is a serious groundswell, clean and powerful. Again, experts only.

Monday the 27th morning is glassy and clean with a 7ft W swell, 12-second period, and energy of 1243. A solid session.

Finally, Tuesday the 28th is a bit of a wild card. The morning has a 10ft WSW swell, but the wind is a light cross-shore. The afternoon is a 12ft WSW swell, which is just too big for this break. The energy is the highest we've seen at 3501, but it's a pass for paddle surfing.

So, to sum it up: the clear winners are Monday the 13th afternoon and Sunday the 26th morning. Both are glassy, clean, and have powerful, long-period groundswells. If you're an experienced surfer, those are your sessions. The rest of the week is a mix of good, marginal, and blown-out.

Rusty.

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