Castelejo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the next sixteen days at Castelejo.

First off, I gotta be straight with you – the water’s proper chilly for this time of year, sittin’ at 66°F with a temperature anomaly that’s 4°F colder than usual. That’s a solid few degrees off the norm, so you’ll want a decent steamer.

Now, for the surf itself… it’s a tough one. The whole sixteen-day window is a bit of a write-off. There’s not a single morning or afternoon that’s worth paddling out for. The first few days, from the 3rd to the 5th of August, we’ve got tiny little 2ft to 3ft swells coming from the west or west-northwest, with a short period of 8 to 9 seconds. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, with moderate to fresh breezes, and the wave energy is weak, sitting between 50 and 141 (moderate to weak). The reports are all flagged as “poor surf conditions” with a score of zero. It’s just not happening.

That wave energy picks up a bit from the 6th to the 8th, with heights reaching 5ft to 6ft and combined energy jumping into the 200s (moderate energy), but the period drops to a messy 6 to 7 seconds, and the wind is a fresh 19 to 22 mph from the north or north-northwest, making it lumpy and cross-onshore. The water is still cold, and the reports are still saying “poor surf conditions.” It’s just a choppy, blown-out mess. Not worth a second look.

We go through a quiet spell from the 9th to the 15th, with swell heights dropping back to 1ft to 3ft, and the energy falling back under 100 (weak) for most of it. The wind is still a problem – moderate to fresh cross-onshore breezes keep things messy. The 11th and 12th show a bit more energy (194 and 215) but it’s still paired with poor conditions and onshore wind.

The last couple of days, the 16th, 17th, and 18th, see a bit of a pulse. Swell heights climb to 6ft, then 6ft, and up to 7ft on the 17th, with the energy getting strong (401 to 491). But the period is still short (6 to 8 seconds), and the wind is a fresh 19 to 22 mph from the north-northwest, either onshore or cross-onshore. Wave comment: “poor surf conditions.” It’s big, but it’s ugly.

Honestly, there’s not a single standout in this whole run. The swell direction is mostly from the NNW or NW, which is not the optimum direction for Castelejo, as it prefers a more northwesterly swell. The wind is always blowing from the wrong side, keeping it choppy and messy. For a beach-and-reef break like Castelejo, I’d say this setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, given the consistent onshore wind and manageable swell sizes. There’s a real gap of about 16 days here with no decent surf on offer. The forecast can change, but right now, it’s a flat, blown-out stretch.

Rusty.

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