El Balneario Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's have a look at the forecast for El Balneario.

Honestly, mate, it's a quiet stretch ahead. The first week or so is looking pretty flat and messy, with a lot of onshore and cross-onshore winds. There's a bit of a gap until we see something worthwhile, but I’ll walk you through it.

The water's sitting at 70°, which is a bit colder than what you'd normally expect for this time of year, so you might want a slightly thicker spring suit.

We kick off on Friday the 21st of August with tiny, weak swell. The combined energy is only 18 (weak), with a 2ft windswell from the west and a short 5-second period. The wind is straight onshore and it's a write-off. Saturday and Sunday the 23rd aren't any better, though Sunday afternoon goes glassy with that 1ft, 4-second slop. The energy is a measly 4 (weak). You could paddle around, but there's no real wave to ride.

Monday the 24th sees a slight bump in energy, hitting 101 (moderate) with a 2ft, 10-second swell from the WNW, but the wind is still onshore and cross-onshore, making it choppy. That pattern of small, wind-affected surf sticks around through the rest of the week. Tuesday the 25th has a 3ft swell but the wind is cross-on, so it's not clean. By Thursday the 27th, the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-onshore, and the surf is just lumpy and uninviting.

Now, Saturday the 29th of August is the only real standout in the whole 16-day window. The morning brings a clean 2ft west swell with an 8-second period, and the wind is a moderate offshore from the ENE at 16 mph. The afternoon is even cleaner with a fresh 19 mph offshore from the east, keeping the 1ft waves glassy. It's small, but it'll be the best quality you'll see. Even so, the energy is only 21 to 29 (weak), so it's a longboard or funboard day, not a shortboard session. It's a beginner-friendly spot, so the small, clean conditions are perfect for learning.

After that, Sunday the 30th of August shows zero swell energy – a complete flat spell. The wind is offshore, so the ocean will look pretty, but there's nothing to ride. This flat spell rolls into the start of September, with a tiny 3ft, 6-second swell returning on Monday the 31st of August, but the wind is straight onshore again. The following days through to the 5th of September offer nothing but onshore junk between 1ft and 4ft, with short periods and poor conditions.

The 5th of September has a bit more size, with a 4ft, 7-second west swell, but the wind is onshore again, so it’s not going to be clean. The energy on the morning of the 5th is 107 (moderate), but the quality just isn't there.

So, if you're looking for a wave, your best bet is that offshore window on Saturday the 29th of August. It's not a big swell, but it'll be the cleanest you'll get. The rest of the period is a write-off, with a long gap of poor conditions and flat spells in between. Nothing to get too excited about, but that's the way it goes sometimes.

Rusty.

Read more