El Barco Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on offer at El Barco over the next sixteen days. I’ll be straight with you, mate – it’s a lean stretch. The forecast shows a lot of cross-onshore winds and messy conditions, and the swell energy stays mostly in the moderate range. There’s a real gap of poor surf here, with nothing worth getting excited about right through the first week and a bit. The earliest we see anything that’s not a total write-off is the morning of Sunday, the 16th of August.

Now, that Sunday morning, the 16th, is the one true standout in this whole period. El Barco sees a clean little knee-to-waist high swell rolling in from the ESE at 3 ft, with a period of 7 seconds. The wind is glassy – calm, 0 mph – which is a rare treat and will have the surface looking like a mirror. The combined energy is a weak 117 (directional energy), so it’s not packing much punch, but for a surf that’s clean and you can actually paddle out without getting blown sideways, it’s the best on offer. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

Other than that one morning, it’s pretty grim. The surf on the 19th of August, Wednesday morning, is just barely surfable with a tiny 2 ft S swell and a clean cross-offshore breeze, but the energy is a very weak 77 (directional energy). It’s a genuine one-wave wonder. The 24th of August, Monday, shows a bit more hope with a 3 ft SSE swell and a period of 10 to 11 seconds, giving a moderate energy of 271 (directional energy). The wind is light cross-shore, so it’s clean enough, but it’s only rated as marginal. That’s a long way out, though, so keep an eye on it.

For the rest of the time, the wind is mostly cross-onshore from the south or east, kicking up chop and making it a battle. The swell gets bigger toward the end of the second week, with a 7 ft S swell on Saturday the 22nd of August, but with a fresh cross-onshore wind and a period of just 6 seconds, it’s going to be a messy, lumpy mess. That setup is more for a kite than a paddle.

So, to sum it up: if you’re desperate, get wet on the Sunday the 16th morning. Otherwise, it’s a waiting game. The long-range Monday the 24th is a maybe, but nothing is certain. It tends not to stay this poor for long, so forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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