El Barco Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for your stretch of coast. Honestly, the next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag, but there are a couple of small windows to get excited about if you’re patient.

The first few days are pretty rough. We’ve got some bumpy, cross-onshore winds getting up and messing things up, with wave heights creeping up but the quality is just not there. That Saturday morning (5th September) kicks off with a weak 4ft SSW swell, but with a fresh 30 km/h cross-onshore, it’s lumpy and poor. The afternoon gets worse—6ft, 40 km/h winds, total mess. Sunday even sees a bit more size, up to 8ft, but the wind is onshore and the wave comment says it all: poor. There’s a lot of energy bouncing around (combined energy up to 688), but without clean conditions, it’s not worth getting wet. This is a period where the beach setup would be better for kite surfing than paddle surfing, if you ask me.

The first real glimmer of hope shows up on Monday morning, 7th September. A light offshore breeze from the NE at 10 km/h cleans up a 4ft SSE groundswell. That period is 9 seconds, so it’s got a bit of push. The conditions are described as clean and surfable, but very ordinary. This isn’t a standout, but it’s the first time it’s not a write-off.

We get another small window Tuesday morning (8th September) with a clean 2ft SSE swell and offshore winds, but again, it’s small and ordinary.

The real bright spot, the one you’ve been waiting for, is Monday morning, 14th September. This is the standout of the whole outlook. We’ve got a clean 3ft swell from the ESE with a solid 11-second period—that’s proper groundswell, with good shape and energy. The wind is light offshore from the N at 10 km/h, making for clean conditions. The combined energy is 244 (moderate), and the forecast actually says “expect good surf conditions.” This is the best on offer, and for a break like El Barco, with that SSE exposure and optimum direction, the ESE swell will wrap in nicely. The water temperature is running about 2° warmer than average for this time of year—56°, so a bit of a warm spell.

After that, the second week fades. The swell drops off, and while there are a few clean mornings (like Saturday 19th September with glassy conditions and 3ft), the sizes are small and the energy is weak. By Sunday 20th September, it’s back to tiny 2ft with moderate cross-offshore breezes.

So, if you’re looking for the one session to pencil in: Monday 14th September morning. It’s not a monster, but it’s the cleanest, most surfable wave in this whole 16-day stretch. The rest you can probably sleep in for.

Rusty.

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