Surf Forecasts:
El Balneario surf forecast from 13 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 14 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 8s period, W swell with 63 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 14 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s 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 Friday (Aug 14) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 9s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at El Balneario in the next 16 days are 0.7m 8s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 16) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Sat 15th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for El Balneario over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Gonna level with you right off the bat: this 16-day stretch for El Balneario is a tough one to swallow. We’ve got a long, dry spell ahead with barely a ripple worth paddling for.
The first couple of days, Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th, offer the only real chance to get wet, but even then it’s not gonna set the world on fire. We're looking at a tiny 2 ft swell out of the west, with a period around 9 seconds. The wave energy is weak, only about 40–44 (44). The water is sitting at 71°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year—about 3° off.
The good news? The wind is light easterly, blowing offshore, so the surface will be clean and lined up. This is your window if you’re a beginner wanting to log some practice in knee-to-waist-high dribblers. Don't expect much push or power.
From Saturday the 15th onward, things go flat and poor. The swell drops even more, the wind swings onshore from the west and southwest, and the wave energy plummets into single digits. Through the rest of August and into late August, the forecast is full of “poor surf conditions” with combined swell energy readings of 3 to 86—mostly weak to very weak. You’ll see a tiny bump around the 23rd–25th with swell heights trying to hit 3 ft to 4 ft, but it’s all wind-affected junk, onshore blown and messy.
Honestly, this setup looks far more suited to kite surfing than paddle surfing for those days in the second week, especially with that moderate to fresh onshore wind.
To sum it up: your best bet is a quick session Thursday morning, August 13th. After that, it’s a long dry gap of nearly two weeks with nothing worth the paddle. Sometimes the coast just shuts down, and this is one of those stretches.
Stay patient, Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Fri afternoon, min 23°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Mon afternoon, min 22°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the E on Sun night, calm by Wed morning). | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | ||||||||||||||
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 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | W 8 | W 5 | W 10 | W 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 42 | 40 | 39 | 24 | 58 | 48 | 33 | 24 | 28 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | glassy | off | off | off | off | off | on | on | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on |
High Tide | 4:48AM1.38m | 5:06PM1.44m | 5:27AM1.35m | 5:45PM1.41m | 6:05AM1.30m | 6:22PM1.33m | 6:42AM1.22m | 6:59PM1.23m | 7:21AM1.13m | 7:39PM1.12m | 8:02AM1.03m | 8:24PM1.01m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:40PM-0.02m | 10:54AM-0.00m | 11:20PM-0.01m | 11:32AM0.03m | 11:58PM0.04m | 12:10PM0.09m | 00:36AM0.12m | 12:48PM0.18m | 1:13AM0.21m | 1:26PM0.28m | 1:53AM0.32m | 2:10PM0.38m | 2:41AM0.42m | ||||||
 | | |  | | |  |  | | | | | | | | |  | | | |
 | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — |
 | 9:15 | — | — | 9:14 | — | — | 9:13 | — | — | 9:10 | — | — | 9:09 | — | — | 9:08 | — | — | 9:07 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 26 | 29 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 |
Feels °C | 27 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | W 7 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 |
| kJ | 42 | 40 | 39 | 24 | 58 | 48 | 33 | 24 | 28 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 37 | 40 | 28 | 20 | 6 | 6 | 2 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 4 | — | — | — | — | — | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | W 9 | — | — | — | W 10 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 3 | E 3 | E 4 | E 3 | — | — | — | E 5 | E 5 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | — | — | — | — | W 5 | W 3 | WNW 3 |
| kJ | 5 | 3 | 9 | 1 | — | — | — | 5 | 52 | 102 | 59 | 57 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 37 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 826 | 207 | 250 | 74 | 71 | 106 | 74 | 74 | 181 | 646 | 247 | 247 | 791 |
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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