El Anclote Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about El Anclote for the next couple of weeks.

It’s a slow start. The surf is tiny, but there’s a window of clean conditions that’ll make the most of it. The first real recommendation is Sunday afternoon, September 6th. We’re looking at a small 3ft swell from the west, with a period of 11 seconds – that’s a nice little groundswell for a reef setup like this. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the west, keeping things clean. The combined energy is moderate at 299, and for a beginner-friendly reef, this is about as good as it gets for the size. The water is a warm 89°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a full 4° above average, so you’ll be fine in shorts.

The standout is Sunday afternoon, no question. It’s the only time the swell height hits 3ft, and with that offshore wind, it’ll be the cleanest wave of the whole run. The break is very consistent, so even with the small size, you’ll get plenty of rides. Expect some company though – it gets crowded sometimes.

Moving into Monday the 7th, the swell drops to 2ft, but the morning still has a clean cross-off breeze from the northeast. The afternoon turns proper offshore from the northwest, but the swell is small and the energy drops to 184. Still surfable, but you’re really just extending the session from Sunday.

Tuesday the 8th holds at 2ft, with light offshore winds in the afternoon. The energy is dropping into the 160s. It’s clean, but the waves are ordinary. Wednesday the 9th gets a tiny bump in period, hitting 17 seconds, but the swell is only 2ft. The morning is cross-shore and messy, but the afternoon sees a clean offshore wind from the north-northwest. It’s a long-period groundswell, which means the reef here will handle it better than a beach break, but there’s just not enough height.

From Thursday the 10th through the weekend, we’re stuck in the 1ft to 2ft range. The energy fluctuates between 85 and 239. The winds are a mix of cross-offshore and light offshore, so the conditions stay clean, but the swell is gutless. The combined energy is bouncing between weak and moderate, and the waves are just not there.

The second week gets a little more interesting, but it’s still small. From Monday the 14th, we see a period spike to 18 seconds, and the swell sticks around 1ft to 2ft. The energy climbs back into the low 100s and 100s. The winds are mostly clean, with some glassy conditions on Friday the 18th morning. That’s a glassy session – zero wind – but the swell is only 1ft with a 20-second period. That’s a ridiculously long period for a beach-and-reef setup, but for the reef at El Anclote, it might produce a few nice, long lines. The energy is moderate at 167.

The very last day, Monday the 21st of September, sees the swell bump to 2ft with a 17-second period and the energy jumps to 256. But the wind is onshore and cross-shore, with a risk of thunderstorms. That’s a write-off.

Overall, the only real standout is this Sunday afternoon, the 6th. It’s not big, but it’s clean, and the reef will turn that 3ft west swell into a fun little wave. After that, it’s a long stretch of small, clean, but ordinary waves. The second week has a few promising windows of glassy or light offshore wind, but the swell is too weak to get excited about. If you’re a beginner, the whole run is manageable, but don’t expect anything over 5ft. There’s a 6-day gap in the middle where the energy drops to weak levels, but the reef stays consistent, so it’s not a total blank. Keep an eye on the forecasts – things can change.

Rusty.

Read more