
Surf Forecasts:
El Balneario surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 7s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s period, W swell with 82 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 7s 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 07) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 7s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at El Balneario in the next 16 days are 0.8m 8s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Friday (Aug 07) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for El Balneario over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for El Balneario over the next couple of weeks.
To be straight with you, it’s a tough outlook. We’ve got a long gap of pretty much nothing worthwhile to start with. From now through to the morning of August 7th, the conditions are pretty much a write-off. The swell is tiny, mostly under 3 ft, and the wind is onshore, blowing straight from the west or west-southwest, making a mess of things. The wave energy is weak too, with readings sitting below 100 during that stretch. You’d be fighting a losing battle out there.
The first glimmer of hope comes on the morning of Friday, August 7th. We get a bit of a reprieve with a light easterly breeze putting a cross-offshore angle on it. The swell is small at 2 ft from the west, but it’s surfable. The wave energy is still low at 41, so it’s not going to be setting the world on fire, but it’s a chance to get wet. After that, it goes back to onshore junk for another week.
Then, things start to look a little more interesting heading into the weekend of August 15th. The standout period is Saturday, August 15th. Morning sees a fresh easterly breeze at 19 mph blowing straight offshore, which is a massive plus for clean faces. The swell pushes up to 4 ft from the west, and the wave energy climbs into moderate territory at 138. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The swell direction (W) is a good match for the optimum (WSW), so the break should be working well. With that offshore wind, it’ll be clean and lined up, but keep in mind, at that size, beginners might find it a bit of a handful. It’s a beginner-friendly break normally, but 4 ft with an offshore breeze can have some punch.
Sunday August 16th is a solid follow-up with the same fresh easterly offshore wind, but the swell drops a little to 3 ft. It’s still clean, but that Saturday is the peak.
For the more experienced crew, there’s a notable moment on Friday morning, August 14th. The wind goes glassy—dead calm—which is magic for conditions. The swell is only 3 ft from the west with an 8-second period, and the energy is weak at 82. It’ll be tiny and clean, perfect for a log or a funboard, but not for any serious juice.
Overall, don’t bother paddling out until August 7th. The best bets are clearly Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th, with Saturday taking the crown thanks to that bigger swell and clean offshore wind. The water temp anomaly is a notable -2°C, meaning the water at El Balneario is running much colder than usual for this time of year at 70°F. So bring a decent spring suit or a steamer, depending on your tolerance.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sun afternoon, min 21°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Thu afternoon, min 21°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | |||||||||||||||
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 | WNW 8 | W 5 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | W 5 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 6 | W 5 | WNW 8 | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 10 | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 9 | W 6 | W 5 | W 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
82 | 68 | 24 | 21 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 44 | 20 | 21 | 62 | 34 | 19 | 41 | 20 | 16 | 33 | 27 | 52 | |
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 | on | on | on | on | on | glassy | cross-off | off | glassy | on | on | on |
High Tide | 6:15PM1.28m | 6:34AM1.20m | 6:51PM1.24m | 7:13AM1.16m | 7:32PM1.19m | 8:00AM1.10m | 8:22PM1.13m | 8:58AM1.04m | 9:28PM1.07m | 10:16AM1.00m | 10:53PM1.04m | 11:46AM1.02m | 00:21AM1.07m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:04PM0.15m | 00:28AM0.16m | 12:39PM0.19m | 1:06AM0.19m | 1:19PM0.24m | 1:49AM0.24m | 2:06PM0.30m | 2:44AM0.30m | 3:08PM0.36m | 3:55AM0.35m | 4:30PM0.40m | 5:22AM0.36m | 6:02PM0.37m | ||||||||
7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | |
— | — | 9:25 | — | — | 9:25 | — | — | 9:24 | — | — | 9:23 | — | — | 9:22 | — | — | 9:22 | — | — | 9:21 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 24 |
Feels °C | 23 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 24 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 | W 5 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 6 | W 6 | W 5 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 9 | W 9 |
82 | 68 | 24 | 21 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 10 | 8 | 14 | 21 | 62 | 34 | 14 | 41 | 20 | 10 | 33 | 6 | 6 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | WNW 10 | — | — | — | — | WNW 9 | W 11 | — | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | E 5 | E 5 | E 6 |
— | — | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | 16 | 2 | — | 10 | 11 | 20 | 19 | 10 | 16 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 10 | — | — | E 4 | W 9 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | — | 1 | 7 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 5 | — | W 5 | W 4 | W 5 | W 5 | W 4 | W 6 | W 5 | W 5 | — | — | — | ENE 3 | ENE 3 | — | — | W 5 | W 6 |
— | — | 7 | — | 8 | 5 | 19 | 7 | 4 | 44 | 20 | 10 | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | — | — | 27 | 52 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 100 | 219 | 137 | 79 | 278 | 137 | 137 | 303 | 82 | 137 | 149 | 119 | 36 | 246 | 826 | 0 | 40 | 717 | 71 | 656 | 137 |
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.











