El Confital Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. The truth is, we’re looking at a pretty bleak stretch for the next two weeks. The swell is just not there, and the wind is mostly a problem. We’ve got one spot on the radar, and it’s a tough one.

The first sniff of any surf comes on Sunday morning, the 9th of August, but don’t get excited. We’re looking at tiny 0.7 ft of swell from the WNW with a short period of 8 seconds and a combined energy of just 11. That’s not surfable. The wind is a cross-shore mess from the North at 12 mph, making it choppy and useless. This continues through the week.

The only break that ever gets a mention is El Confital. It’s an expert-level, very consistent beach and reef setup that’s exposed to the west – the optimum swell direction is from the west. The problem is, the swell is just not cooperating. It’s a spot that can handle a lot, but it needs a proper push from the west.

We see a tiny bump on Friday, the 14th of August. The morning shows 2 ft from the NW with a period of 11 seconds and a combined energy of 133. That’s a moderate energy level, but still tiny. The wind is a cross-offshore from the North at 12 mph, which gives us clean conditions. For a wave of this size, it’s a long-period groundswell, which means it’ll have some shape but be very inconsistent. Don’t expect much.

The rest of the first week and into the second week is a repeat of the same story: small, weak, and cross-shore winds. By the 18th of August, we see a tiny 2 ft from the N with a period of just 7 seconds and a combined energy of 52. That’s weak, short-period junk. The wind is cross-offshore from the North, so it’s clean, but there’s no power. The same goes for the 24th of August, with 1 ft from the N with a 11-second period and a combined energy of 40. Clean conditions, but it’s a paddle, not a surf.

The crowd profile at El Confital is ‘often’, so even on these small days, you’ll have company. Given the consistent lack of size and the poor quality of the swell, this is a classic case of “leave the board at home” for a full two weeks. There are no standouts here. The water temperature is about average for the time of year.

It’s a tough one, but sometimes the ocean just says no. Keep an eye on the charts, but don’t be surprised if you’re waiting a while for a decent wave.

Rusty.

Read more