Castelejo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at the local situation.

First up, I gotta be straight with you – the next week and a half is a bit of a write-off for good waves at Castelejo. There's surf in the water, but that onshore and cross-onshore wind from the NW and NNW is just killing it, making for bumpy, choppy conditions. We’re looking at a long stretch of "poor surf" labels, so don't get your hopes up for a clean session for a while.

Right now, on Wednesday morning, we've got a weak 3ft NW swell with a short 6-second period, but that 16 mph cross-on wind is making it messy as hell. The combined energy is weak at just 58. The water temp is about average for this time of year. This pattern of small, short-period swell with poor wind holds through the end of the week. Friday morning sees a tiny 2ft WNW swell at 9 seconds, but still onshore. It's a tough stretch.

That weekend into Monday isn't much better. Saturday morning brings a 1ft NW swell with a long 12-second period (groundswell), which would normally be promising, but that onshore wind is going to wreck any shape. On Sunday the 12th, we get a slight uptick in energy – combined swell energy hits 162 (moderate) – with a 3ft NW swell, but again, the cross-onshore wind keeps it choppy. Monday and Tuesday stay small and weak, still plagued by onshore conditions. It's a long, frustrating run.

We finally see a bit more size arriving on Thursday the 16th, with the swell picking up to 3ft from the WNW, and a combined energy of 116 (moderate). The wind is still cross-onshore, though, so the quality won't be there. By the time we get to Sunday the 19th, the swell is building to 4ft, but the cross-onshore wind is actually getting stronger, up to 22 mph, making it lumpy.

The only real standout, and I use that term loosely, comes way out at the end of the forecast window. On Wednesday the 22nd, the swell gets a bit more serious – 5ft from the NNW, with a combined energy of 199 (moderate) – and then on Thursday the 23rd, we see the biggest swell of the period: a 7ft NNW swell with a combined energy of 408 (strong). Now, this is proper size, but it's a bad sign that the wind is still cross-onshore, and at that size with chop, this spot is going to be a washing machine. That swell is over 5ft, so it's too much for beginners, and the onshore wind will make it a test for even experienced surfers. Honestly, with that much wind and swell, the setup at this beach and reef looks more interesting for kite surfing than a clean paddle session.

That's the long and short of it, folks. A lot of waiting for something that never quite comes together. Keep an eye on the charts, because these patterns can shift. Until next time, Rusty.

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