El Barco Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here, and I’ve gotta be straight with you – we’re looking at a pretty grim stretch for El Barco. The next 16 days are a real mixed bag of tiny, weak swells and messy wind, so don’t go getting your hopes up too high. There’s a couple of windows where things might just click, but you’ll need to be patient.

Let’s start with the bad news. From Tuesday the 28th of July, right through until Monday the 3rd of August, it’s mostly a write-off. We’re talking tiny waves, mostly under 2 ft, with short periods and weak energy. The wind is a constant problem – cross-shore, cross-onshore, just ugly. You’ll see a bit of a pulse on the 2nd of August with a 3 ft swell from the south, but it’s a short period (7 seconds) and cross-onshore wind, so it’ll be a choppy mess. The combined energy on that morning is only 110 (moderate), but it’s not enough to save it.

Now, there’s a glimmer. On Monday the 3rd of August, the afternoon session shows some promise. The swell is still small at 3 ft from the SSE, but the period jumps to a nice 11 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the NNE, which will keep the surface clean. The combined energy ramps up to 233 (moderate) and the wave comment actually says “expect good surf conditions.” This is the standout of the whole outlook. It’s not big, but it’s clean and will have some shape. El Barco is a fairly consistent spot, exposed to the south, so it’ll pick up this groundswell. Crowds are likely here, so get down early.

The next few days after that are just frustrating. The 4th and 5th of August have similar swell heights (3 ft to 3 ft) but the wind swings onshore, ruining the surface. The 5th afternoon is surfable but very ordinary – a 3 ft swell from the SE with a moderate offshore wind, but the energy is only 126.

Then, on Friday the 7th of August, we get a bigger push. The swell jumps to 5 ft from the SW in the morning, and by the afternoon it’s 6 ft from the same direction with a period of just 7 seconds. The combined energy in the afternoon is 354 (moderate to strong). That’s a bigger swell, but it’s short period windswell, and the wind is a cross-offshore, so it’ll be clean. For a more experienced surfer, this could be fun, but it’s not for beginners. It’s a bit of a one-off.

The final week starts to fade again. The 8th through the 12th of August sees small, weak swells and onshore or cross-onshore winds. The 12th morning has a 6 ft swell from the SE with a period of 8 seconds and combined energy of 373 (strong), but the wind is cross-onshore, so it’ll be choppy and lumpy. Not the best way to finish the outlook.

So, to sum it up: the best surf on offer is the Monday the 3rd of August afternoon session. It’s not a classic, but it’s the cleanest and most surfable wave in the whole period. The 7th of August is for the experienced crew looking for a bigger, raw wave. Everything else is a struggle. Get out there when you can.

Rusty.

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