Celestino Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next few weeks for Celestino. It’s a point break, exposed to the southwest swell, and you know what? It’s been a bit of a slow start. The water is sitting at 89°F right now, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s pretty unusual, feels like bathwater, but no complaints here.

The first entry on the books is Tuesday afternoon the 25th of August, but honestly, we’re looking at a 2ft SSW swell with a 16-second period. That’s a long-period groundswell, but the wind is cross-onshore at 9 mph, and the wave energy is weak (341). The forecast says "poor surf," and I’m not going to argue. We’ve got a bit of a gap here. Nothing really worth paddling out for until the morning of Sunday the 30th of August.

That Sunday morning, things finally click. The swell is 3ft from the SSW, period 14 seconds, and the wind… wind is glass. The file says "glass" and "expect very good surf conditions." The energy is moderate (569), and it’s a point break, so that long period will wrap in nicely. This is the first real standout. The crowd factor is listed as "sometimes" so you might have company, but it’s a point, so there’s room. If you’re a beginner, this 3ft is totally fine.

After that, we go through a few more days of marginal stuff. The wind keeps switching, the swell holds around 2ft to 3ft, but it’s mostly cross-onshore or onshore, so the surface is messy. The energy drops back below 400. Not great.

Then we get to the 4th of September, a Friday morning. This is your second true standout. The swell jumps to 5ft from the SSW, period 17 seconds, and it’s glassy again. The combined energy is strong (1192), and the forecast says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." That’s a bit of a warning – 5ft at a point with a long period like that will have some punch. It’s not beginner territory, but for the rest of us, this is the one to circle.

Then the energy builds. The 7th of September (Monday afternoon) sees 6ft SSW swell, 13-second period, and again glassy conditions. The energy is very strong (1247). Another excellent session for experienced surfers.

The real heavy stuff comes in on the 8th and 9th of September. On Tuesday the 8th, the afternoon gives us 7ft SSW swell with a huge 18-second period, and the energy is massive (3210). The wind is cross-onshore, but the forecast still gives it a 4 out of 10. It’s big, but messy.

But Wednesday the 9th of September, that’s the big one. The morning shows 8ft from the SW, period 13 seconds, and the wind is cross-offshore at 9 mph. The energy is extreme (3447), and the forecast says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." This is a standout, but it’s only for experts. 8ft at a point break with that much energy? That’s a serious session. The afternoon holds 8ft with a cross-offshore wind at 12 mph, still clean. This is the best on offer in the whole window, but it’s a long way off, so the confidence is lower.

All in all, Celestino has a couple of quiet weeks, then a run of really good, clean, glassy mornings, and then a big, powerful finish. The best bet is the morning of the 4th of September for the combination of size and glass, or the 9th of September if you’re a charger and you’re willing to wait.

- Rusty

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