Surf Forecasts:
El Balneario surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 22 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 9s period, W swell with 56 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for El Balneario this week:
The most powerful waves expected at El Balneario in the next 16 days are 0.6m 9s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 10s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for El Balneario over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s talk about the 16-day window for El Balneario. I’ll be straight with you—this one’s a tough stretch. The water is running a bit colder than normal for this time of year, sitting at 70°, which is 3° cooler than the average. It’s noticeable, so you might want a thicker suit.
Looking at the whole picture, there’s a big gap of nothing good at the start. From Wednesday the 19th right through to the end of August, the surf is consistently poor. The swell is tiny, mostly under 3 ft, coming from the west and WSW, with periods all over the place—short, weak, and messy. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, making things choppy and uninviting. The combined wave energy stays weak, below 100 (energy values like 6 and 53), so there’s just no power in the water. This is a blank run, plain and simple.
The only glimmer of hope shows up on Thursday the 3rd of September, the morning session. The wind goes glassy—calm, zero wind—and the swell is a tiny 2 ft from the WNW with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy hits 54 (weak), and the conditions are described as "surfable waves but very ordinary." It’s not great, but it’s the only window where you might get a few dribbly, clean waves. The afternoon backslides into poor surf with a light offshore, but the swell drops.
Honestly, El Balneario is a beginner-friendly break, but with the swell so small and inconsistent over nearly two weeks, even the glassy Thursday morning is hard to get excited about. If you’re desperate, that’s your moment. Otherwise, keep your board in the car and wait for a better forecast.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 25°C on Thu afternoon, min 20°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Sat afternoon, min 19°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | W 8 | W 8 | SW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | W 5 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 6 | W 6 | W 5 | W 6 | W 5 | W 9 | W 5 | W 5 | W 6 | WNW 6 | W 6 | W 5 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 7 | 28 | 16 | 56 | 51 | 24 | 9 | 31 | 13 | 6 | 20 | 16 | 19 | 50 | 30 | 17 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 8:02AM1.03m | 8:24PM1.01m | 8:55AM0.94m | 9:25PM0.92m | 10:14AM0.88m | 10:58PM0.88m | 11:55AM0.88m | 00:31AM0.91m | 1:10PM0.95m | 1:32AM0.98m | 1:59PM1.03m | 2:15AM1.06m | 2:37PM1.12m | 2:51AM1.14m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:10PM0.38m | 2:41AM0.42m | 3:07PM0.47m | 3:50AM0.49m | 4:34PM0.53m | 5:27AM0.51m | 6:14PM0.51m | 6:51AM0.46m | 7:23PM0.45m | 7:45AM0.39m | 8:09PM0.36m | 8:25AM0.30m | 8:46PM0.27m | ||||||||
 | |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:07 | — | — | 9:07 | — | — | 9:05 | — | — | 9:04 | — | — | 9:02 | — | — | 9:00 | — | — | 9:00 |
mm | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 23 |
Feels °C | 23 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 4 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 6 | WNW 8 | W 5 | W 6 | W 9 | W 9 | W 5 | WNW 8 | W 4 | WNW 6 | — | W 5 |
| kJ | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 56 | 51 | 7 | 9 | 31 | 6 | 6 | 20 | 11 | 10 | 50 | — | 17 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 5 | E 5 | — | W 10 | — | — | — | — | W 12 | W 11 | W 10 | WNW 9 | W 9 | — | — | W 9 | E 7 | W 8 | — | — | W 8 |
| kJ | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | — | — | 6 | 1 | 5 | — | — | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 8 | — | W 6 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 2 | — | SW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | W 5 | W 5 | — | — | W 6 | — | — | W 5 | W 4 | — | W 5 | W 6 | — | W 6 | — |
| kJ | — | 1 | — | 5 | 12 | 7 | 28 | 12 | — | — | 24 | — | — | 13 | 5 | — | 16 | 19 | — | 30 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 320 | 321 | 320 | 321 | 313 | 137 | 181 | 844 | 246 | 181 | 317 | 246 | 258 | 321 | 94 | 137 | 836 | 82 | 65 | 800 | 53 |
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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