El Anclote Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. This is Rusty.

We’ve got a 16-day window here, and I’ll be honest – the first few days are pretty flat and ordinary. There’s a bit of a wait before anything really gets going, but once we get into the weekend and beyond, this place starts to show some promise.

The first real surf to talk about is on Tuesday, July 21st, up at El Anclote. It’s a reef setup, super consistent, and it faces the SW swell. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing wild. Tuesday morning you’re looking at a clean 2 ft of swell from the SW, with a 15-second period – that’s proper groundswell. The wind is light and cross-off, so the surface is tidy. The combined energy is moderate, sitting at 235. It’s small, but it’s clean. Tuesday afternoon the wind switches to a moderate offshore from the NW at 16 mph, keeping the waves clean, but still only 2 ft. The energy drops a bit to 190.

Wednesday the 22nd is much the same story: 2 ft SW swell, periods around 11 seconds, light cross-off in the morning, moderate offshore in the afternoon. Clean, but small. The energy is moderate (152 and 184). Not a standout, but it’s surfable.

Now, Thursday the 23rd is a write-off. Risk of thunderstorms, messy cross-shore winds, and the swell drops to 0.7 ft with a 26-second period – that’s a very long, weak groundswell that won’t do much on this reef. Poor conditions. Energy is 167 but it’s all over the shop.

Friday the 24th is a glimmer. Morning is glassy with 1 ft of SW swell, a 24-second period, and energy of 200. That’s a long-period groundswell, so the waves will be clean and lined up, but the size is tiny. Ideal for a longboard if you’re patient.

The first real standout comes on Saturday, July 25th, morning. Glassy conditions, 2 ft of SW swell with a 21-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 295. That’s moderate, but the glassy wind and the long period mean the reef will be working nicely. Expect good surf conditions. This is the best of the first week – small but clean and well-shaped. The afternoon gets a bit messy with cross-shore wind, but the morning is the pick.

Sunday the 26th is solid too. Morning has a light cross-off, 2 ft of SW swell, 18-second period, energy of 301. Afternoon is similar with 2 ft and 18 seconds, energy 351. Clean both sessions. Good, consistent small-wave surfing.

Monday the 27th keeps the trend: 2-3 ft SW swell, 17-second period, clean cross-off winds. Energy is 387 in the morning, 331 in the afternoon. That’s moderate energy, and the waves will be fun and consistent.

Tuesday the 28th is a bit of a mixed bag. Morning has 3 ft of SW swell, 17-second period, energy at 465, but the wind is cross-on, creating small ripples. Not ideal. Afternoon is worse with cross-shore and poor conditions. Skip it.

Wednesday, July 29th, morning is another standout. Glassy, 3 ft of SSW swell, 16-second period, energy of 435. That’s moderate-strong energy, and the glassy conditions will make the reef look like a mirror. Expect good surf. Afternoon is poor again.

Thursday the 30th brings a slight bump. Morning has 3 ft of WSW swell, 13-second period, energy of 479, with a light cross-off. That’s the biggest swell of the window so far, and it’s clean. Afternoon holds 3 ft with a 12-second period, energy 424, and a moderate cross-off. Good all day, but the morning is cleaner.

Friday the 31st morning is glassy again, with 3 ft of WSW swell, 11-second period, energy 284. Clean and fun. Afternoon gets cross-shore and messy.

From Saturday, August 1st onwards, the swell drops off quickly. The 1st has 2 ft, the 2nd and 3rd drop to 1 ft, and by the 4th and 5th it’s barely 1 ft with weak energy (43-73). The last week of the forecast is a slow fade-out. Not much to get excited about.

So, the best on offer: The standout is Saturday, July 25th morning – glassy, 2 ft of SW groundswell, 21-second period, and the reef working perfectly. Also Wednesday, July 29th morning – glassy, 3 ft, 16-second period, and strong energy. These are the two sessions to point your board at. The rest is small but clean, especially through the weekend and early next week.

Crowds at El Anclote are listed as “sometimes” – so you might have company, but it’s not a zoo. The reef’s very consistent, so there’s usually a wave to be had.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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