Castelejo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down the next couple of weeks.

Well, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a bit of a rough patch to start. The first swell we see is on Friday the 7th, but honestly, it’s not worth paddling out for. We’ve got a weak 3ft swell from the NNW with a short period of 5 seconds, and the wind is a messy cross-onshore at 16 mph. The sea is all choppy and jumbled, with combined swell energy sitting at just 84 – that’s weak. The afternoon is no better, with the wind going straight onshore. It’s a real struggle.

Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th are more of the same story – small, weak swell and poor conditions. The wind stays cross-onshore or onshore, and the waves are just not cooperating. The combined energy barely breaks 100. It’s a write-off for the weekend.

We start to see a little more push on Monday the 10th, with the swell lifting to 3ft from the NW and the combined energy hitting 151 (moderate). But the wind is still cross-onshore at 16 mph, and the period is only 7 seconds, so it’s going to be a messy, short-period windswell. Not the clean stuff we’re after.

Through the rest of the first week and into the second, we get a persistent pattern of moderate to strong combined swell energy – the numbers climb into the 200s and 300s – but the wind never lets up. It’s almost always a cross-onshore or onshore breeze from the NNW or NW, blowing at 12 to 19 mph. The surf is there, but it’s rough, lumpy, and just not clean. The break here is Castelejo, a beach and reef setup, and with the wind howling onshore, it might actually be more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle guys.

Now, the real standout window is around the 17th and 18th of August. The swell is going to be big. On Monday the 17th, we’re looking at 7ft to 8ft from the NW and NNW, with a period of 8 seconds. The combined wave energy is a massive 607 to 759 (strong to very strong). That’s serious power. But – and it’s a big but – the wind is still a fresh cross-onshore at 19 mph. This is going to be big, powerful, and messy. For experienced surfers only, it could offer some heavy, challenging waves, but it’s not going to be pretty. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual.

The big energy continues through the 19th and 20th, with the swell staying around 6ft to 7ft and combined energy well over 400. The wind does ease a little on the 20th, down to 16 mph, but it’s still cross-onshore.

The best bet in the whole 16-day window, the one that gets my heart beating a little faster, is Friday the 21st of August. The swell drops a bit to 5ft from the NW, with a period of 8 seconds, but the combined energy is still a solid 255 (moderate). The big news is the wind – it’s easing to a gentle 9 mph, and while it’s still cross-onshore, a gentle breeze is a world away from the fresh stuff we’ve been dealing with. The morning description says “gentle cross-onshore and fairly choppy,” but that’s the best we’re going to get. It’s the least messy day of the whole run. The swell direction (NW) is a good match for the optimum (NW), so the lines should be decent. It’s the only day that looks even remotely fun for a paddle.

Overall, it’s a tough forecast. The first week is a complete dud, and the second week has a lot of energy but is ruined by the wind. If you’re an expert and want to battle a big, windy ocean, the 17th might be your jam. But for the rest of us, that Friday the 21st is the only window with a glimmer of hope. Keep your eyes on the forecasts, mate – it can’t stay this windy forever.
Rusty

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