Surf Forecasts:
El Balneario surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 21 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period, W swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 7s period, WNW swell with 65 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for El Balneario this week:
The surf forecast for El Balneario over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at El Balneario in the next 16 days are 0.8m 7s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for El Balneario over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch ahead for El Balneario. The whole 16-day window is looking flat and messy, with nothing that really gets the heart pumping. Let's break it down.
We’re kicking off with a real quiet spell. From Saturday the 18th right through to the end of July, the swell is tiny, mostly around 1 ft to 3 ft, and coming from the west or west-northwest. The energy is weak, with combined energy readings barely scraping into double digits (51 is the highest we see early on), and the period is a short, weak 6 seconds. That’s just windswash, not proper surf. The water is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, sitting at 71°, which is a degree cooler than average.
You’ll see some offshore winds pop up on Thursday the 23rd, with a light easterly breeze cleaning things up, but the swell is still a pathetic 2 ft. It’s a clean lake, but there’s nothing to ride. Then on Sunday the 27th, it drops off a cliff – the swell height goes to zero, and the energy is down to 8. There’s a big gap of nothingness.
The only faint glimmer comes right at the end of the run. On Thursday the 30th of July and Friday the 31st, we get a strong offshore wind from the east at 19-25 mph. The wave comment says it’s “strong offshore and clean but hard to paddle into” – that’s the story. The swell is still only 2 ft to 2 ft, with a still-short 6-second period. It’s going to be blown out, bumpy, and incredibly difficult to get into those tiny waves. The energy is minimal (36). For a beginner spot like El Balneario, this is not a goer. For a more experienced surfer, it’s barely a paddle.
For a wave that’s mainly exposed to a WSW swell and we’re getting small, weak W/NW windswell, the setup just isn’t there. With the swell staying consistently under 3 ft and the energy so weak, this is more of a kiteboarding window than a surfable one if the wind is offshore, but the waves are too small for that too.
Honestly, the best advice is to save the wax for another week. The forecast can change, but as it stands, put the board away and catch up on sleep.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Mon afternoon, min 20°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 31°C on Thu night, min 23°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 6 | W 6 | W 5 | W 6 | W 6 | W 5 | W 6 | W 6 | W 5 | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 5 | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 6 | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 6 | W 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 49 | 33 | 10 | 49 | 34 | 18 | 49 | 22 | 12 | 49 | 26 | 5 | 27 | 17 | 12 | 28 | 17 | 11 | 51 | 28 | 20 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | glassy | cross-on | glassy | on | glassy | off | off | on | on | cross-on | on | on |
High Tide | 6:58PM1.32m | 7:22AM1.19m | 7:42PM1.23m | 8:09AM1.11m | 8:29PM1.14m | 8:59AM1.03m | 9:22PM1.04m | 9:59AM0.96m | 10:26PM0.97m | 11:11AM0.93m | 11:41PM0.95m | 12:26PM0.94m | 00:52AM0.96m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:43PM0.12m | 1:15AM0.14m | 1:27PM0.20m | 2:00AM0.22m | 2:14PM0.29m | 2:49AM0.31m | 3:06PM0.38m | 3:45AM0.39m | 4:08PM0.44m | 4:52AM0.44m | 5:24PM0.48m | 6:05AM0.44m | 6:38PM0.46m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:37 | — | — | 9:37 | — | — | 9:37 | — | — | 9:36 | — | — | 9:35 | — | — | 9:35 | — | — | 9:34 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 30 | 31 | 28 | 32 | 31 |
Feels °C | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 30 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | — | W 7 | W 6 | W 10 | W 5 | W 6 | W 8 | W 5 | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 5 | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 6 | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 6 | W 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 |
| kJ | 49 | — | 4 | 49 | 2 | 11 | 49 | 5 | 11 | 49 | 26 | 5 | 27 | 17 | 12 | 28 | 17 | 11 | 51 | 28 | 20 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | W 11 | — | W 7 | W 9 | — | W 8 | W 11 | W 11 | W 7 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | E 4 | W 8 | — | — | W 8 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | — | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 4 | — | — | 5 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | W 9 | — | — | — | — | W 12 | W 11 | — | — | — | W 10 | W 9 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 3 | W 6 | W 5 | — | W 6 | W 5 | — | W 6 | W 5 | — | — | — | — | — | E 3 | E 4 | — | W 6 | — | WSW 3 | — |
| kJ | 2 | 33 | 10 | — | 34 | 18 | — | 22 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 10 | — | 1 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 717 | 1117 | 606 | 246 | 838 | 82 | 246 | 791 | 442 | 0 | 843 | 246 | 345 | 826 | 219 | 71 | 1117 | 354 | 58 | 246 | 65 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Andalucia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Spain (Europe) | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the El Balneario Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for El Balneario provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at El Balneario can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our El Balneario 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 Balneario) 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 Balneario 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.
El Balneario is 1 km (1 miles) from the city of Tarifa. If you plan a holiday in Andalucia, look for hotels and other accommodation in Tarifa. Tarifa has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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