Surf Forecasts:
El Arenal surf forecast from 6 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 6 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 8s period, NE swell with 329 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for El Arenal this week:
The most powerful waves expected at El Arenal in the next 16 days are 1.6m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 06) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Thu 6th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for El Arenal over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are a write-off. There’s nothing on the table that’s worth paddling out for. The entire 16-day forecast from August 6th through to August 21st is a total bust, with every session flagged as “poor surf conditions.” That’s a long, dry spell, and it’s pretty normal for this area when the wind and swell just don’t line up.
The only spot on the radar is El Arenal, a sandbar break that’s beginner-friendly and fairly consistent, but it’s copping it from every angle. The swell is coming from the NE mostly, around 4ft to 6ft – so it’s not tiny, but the wind is all over the shop. For the first few days, Thursday August 6th through Sunday August 9th, you’ve got a moderate breeze out of the NE and N, mostly cross or cross-onshore, whipping up a chop. The swell period is short, only 7 to 8 seconds, so the waves are weak and jumbled. The combined energy sits around 198 to 473 (moderate), but it’s all messy.
Through the middle of the week, Monday August 10th to Wednesday August 12th, the wind swings around to the NNE, still 9 to 16 mph, and it’s cross-on or cross-shore with a cross-chop. Swell stays around 4ft to 5ft, period still 6 to 7 seconds – no muscle, no shape. The energy drops a bit, down to 232 to 301 by Tuesday. It’s just not doing anything.
From Thursday August 13th on, things pick up in size a little – we see 6ft to 6ft on the 14th and 15th – but the wind is still NE or NNE at 9 to 16 mph, and the waves are cross-shore with a chop. The period crawls up to 8 seconds at best, so the combined energy gets back to 413 to 442 (moderate), but the quality is still poor. By the 16th and 17th, the swell drops back to 4ft to 5ft, and the wind stays cross-on or cross-shore. The last few days, August 18th to 21st, are the same story: weak 4ft to 5ft swell, short period, and onshore winds.
Water temperature at the start of the period is 75°, which is about normal for this time of year (anomaly of 1°). That’s the only thing that’s not a letdown.
Bottom line: there’s no standout, no window of clean surf. This is a classic “leave the board in the car” stretch. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, given the onshore wind and chop. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a tough run.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Fri afternoon, min 21°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Sun afternoon, min 20°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NNE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 6 | NE 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 297 | 369 | 329 | 217 | 209 | 287 | 184 | 174 | 178 | 168 | 144 | 198 | 198 | 258 | 289 | 266 | 210 | 204 | 158 | 128 | 124 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 7:51PM1.61m | 8:39AM1.58m | 9:21PM1.55m | 10:08AM1.62m | 10:52PM1.61m | 11:25AM1.76m | 00:03AM1.73m | 12:26PM1.95m | 1:00AM1.87m | 1:17PM2.13m | 1:48AM1.99m | 2:03PM2.27m | 2:31AM2.06m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:28PM0.58m | 2:10AM0.57m | 2:57PM0.62m | 3:39AM0.60m | 4:33PM0.55m | 5:04AM0.52m | 5:49PM0.39m | 6:09AM0.39m | 6:48PM0.21m | 7:01AM0.25m | 7:38PM0.06m | 7:47AM0.14m | 8:22PM-0.04m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — |
 | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:51 | — | — | 8:50 | — | — | 8:49 | — | — | 8:47 | — | — | 8:46 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 |
Feels °C | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | N 9 | N 9 | N 9 | NNE 8 | NNW 10 | NE 7 | NNW 8 | N 8 | NE 7 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 |
| kJ | 297 | 369 | 329 | 217 | 209 | 215 | 184 | 174 | 178 | 41 | 40 | 25 | 20 | 19 | 289 | 23 | 20 | 204 | 83 | 79 | 77 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 10 | N 10 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | NNW 9 | WNW 10 | NW 11 | WNW 10 | N 8 | NNW 12 | N 11 |
| kJ | 51 | 70 | 65 | 58 | 58 | 60 | 57 | 56 | 61 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 28 | 10 | 29 | 63 | 10 | 29 | 22 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | S 12 | — | W 12 | N 11 | N 8 | WNW 10 | NW 7 | N 14 | N 8 | NNW 12 | N 7 | N 7 |
| kJ | 52 | 34 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 26 | 17 | 3 | — | 3 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 19 | 30 | 4 | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 8 | — | — | — | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | — | NE 7 | NE 7 | — | NE 7 | NE 6 | NE 6 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 287 | — | — | — | 168 | 144 | 198 | 198 | 258 | — | 266 | 210 | — | 158 | 128 | 124 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 63 | 62 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 464 | 464 | 20 | 464 | 20 | 464 | 20 | 20 | 68 | 68 | 20 | 464 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Tenerife | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Spain (Africa) | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the El Arenal Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for El Arenal provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at El Arenal can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our El Arenal surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (El Arenal) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for El Arenal may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
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