Castelejo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’re looking at Castelejo, a beach and reef setup that’s very consistent and exposed to the NW swell. The water’s sitting at 69°F which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Right off the bat, the first record on Saturday the 11th of July has tiny, weak 1ft NW swell with a combined energy of just 76 (weak) and a cross-shore breeze. It’s poor surf, not worth a paddle. That’s the story for the next several days, honestly. From Sunday the 12th through to Wednesday the 15th, we’ve got a mix of waist to chest-high NW swell, but the wind is often cross-on or onshore, and the periods are short (7-9 seconds). The energy creeps up to the 200s (moderate) on Sunday, but the wind messes it up. It’s just not clean.

Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th see a bit more size, 4ft to 5ft, but the wind is howling from the NNW at 18-22 mph, cross-on and lumpy. The energy is picking up, hitting 113 to 133 (moderate), but the quality is poor. This is more of a kite-surfing breeze than a clean surf session.

The weekend of the 18th and 19th gets bigger. Saturday the 18th has 5ft to 6ft NW swell, but the wind is a strong 25 mph onshore, with energy jumping to 319 (moderate). Sunday the 19th pushes 6ft to 7ft, energy up to 571 (moderate), but again, it’s cross-on and messy. Still not the one.

Now, the standout window. Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st of July. The swell builds to 7ft on Monday, and then Tuesday morning we’re looking at 8ft NNW swell with a 9-second period. The combined energy on Tuesday morning is 1152 (strong). That’s the biggest, most powerful pulse of the whole forecast. But—and it’s a big but—the wind is still cross-on or onshore. The waves will be up, but it’s going to be a choppy, lumpy affair. For experienced surfers only, this is your best shot at some size. It’s a real shame the wind isn’t playing nice.

Wednesday the 22nd keeps the size at 8ft, with a longer 10-second period and energy hitting 2015 (very strong). Again, the wind is cross-on or onshore, so it’s not the clean, glassy dream we’d hope for.

After that, it starts to taper off. Thursday the 23rd through to Sunday the 26th the swell drops from 6ft back down to 2ft, the energy fades, and the wind remains a persistent cross-on or onshore problem. The last few days are weak and messy.

Honestly, the whole 16-day window is a frustrating one. The size shows up, especially around the 20th to the 22nd of July, with that strong, powerful NNW groundswell, but the wind never really swings offshore (SE) to clean it up. There’s no standout perfect day here. If you’re an experienced surfer who doesn’t mind a bit of chop, Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd of July have the most juice. For everyone else, it’s a wait-and-see.

Rusty.

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