Surf Forecasts:
El Barco surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 27 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 13s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 13s period, SSE swell with 304 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 13s period with SSE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for El Barco this week:
The surf forecast for El Barco over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at El Barco in the next 16 days are 0.9m 13s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 31) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (-03) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for El Barco over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, I'm Rusty. Let's get into it.
Alright, look, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it – this stretch from late August right through the first week of September is a proper struggle at El Barco. You're looking at a solid run of poor surf conditions, with wave heights barely getting past 3 feet and cross-onshore winds messing up most of the sessions. The energy is weak, with combined swell energy values sitting mostly in the double digits (239, 187, 216, and so on) – nothing to get excited about. There's a big gap of days with no real recommendations, so you're basically waiting until the second week of September for anything half-decent.
The water temperature is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual there.
Now, the standout window. The best chance you've got is the morning of the 10th of September. Thursday morning looks like a genuine winner. We've got a clean 5ft swell coming from the southeast, with a light breeze from the northeast that's cross-offshore, so the surf will be super clean. The combined energy jumps to 290 (moderate), and the period is 8 seconds – decent enough for a fun session. This is a solid option, just be aware that the break is exposed and picks up swell from the south, so it's on the money.
If you're looking at the morning of the 11th of September, Friday, there's a 4ft southeast swell with a 12-second period and a cross-offshore wind from the northeast. The energy is 494 (moderate), but the forecast says it's marginal, possibly due to tide. It's worth a look if you're keen, but not as strong a call as the Thursday morning.
A couple of notes: the early morning of the 7th of September (Monday) has a glassy 4ft easterly swell – that's a clean, small option if you're desperate, but it's not a standout. The swell gets bigger on the 7th afternoon (6ft) but it's onshore, so that's a pass for most.
So, bottom line: if you can wait, the 10th of September morning is your best bet. Clean, surfable, and a decent size. The rest of the period is a write-off – poor surf, messy winds, and small waves. Hang in there.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Wed night. Very mild (max 14°C on Wed night, min 11°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun morning, min 10°C on Tue afternoon). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SE 14 | SSE 13 | SE 12 | SSE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 5 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | E 6 | E 4 | E 7 | E 5 | E 7 | E 8 | E 9 | SW 5 | E 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 418 | 212 | 149 | 87 | 137 | 25 | 15 | 23 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 4 | 35 | 59 | 66 | 81 | 62 | 92 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 7:17AM0.22m | 12:02PM0.17m | 7:25PM0.30m | 7:46AM0.24m | 8:09PM0.29m | 8:18AM0.26m | 8:52PM0.29m | 8:54AM0.29m | 9:35PM0.28m | 9:32AM0.32m | 10:19PM0.27m | 3:37AM0.21m | 11:05PM0.25m | ||||||
Low Tide | 2:56AM0.10m | 11:08AM0.17m | 2:44PM0.15m | 3:37AM0.11m | 3:35PM0.13m | 4:17AM0.12m | 4:23PM0.10m | 4:56AM0.14m | 5:10PM0.07m | 1:01AM0.20m | 5:35AM0.15m | 5:57PM0.05m | 1:30AM0.19m | 6:14AM0.17m | 6:46PM0.03m | ||||
 |  |  |  |  | | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — |
 | 6:15 | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:17 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:20 | — |
mm | 6 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 14 | SSE 13 | SE 12 | E 9 | E 8 | SE 10 | SSE 4 | SSE 9 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | E 9 | S 6 | E 7 | S 6 | E 7 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 |
| kJ | 418 | 212 | 149 | 52 | 23 | 25 | 11 | 8 | 20 | 18 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 59 | 66 | 81 | 62 | 49 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 5 | E 6 | E 7 | SSE 11 | SE 11 | E 10 | ESE 6 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | SE 9 | SE 8 | S 6 | — | S 6 | S 5 | — | — | E 10 |
| kJ | 25 | 27 | 35 | 87 | 56 | 17 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 92 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | S 4 | — | ENE 10 | SE 10 | — | SSE 9 | SE 9 | S 7 | SE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 5 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 7 | — | 33 | 15 | — | 8 | 3 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 5 | — | SSW 3 | — | SE 11 | SE 4 | — | SE 5 | — | — | E 6 | E 4 | E 4 | E 5 | — | — | SW 3 | SW 5 | SSW 6 |
| kJ | 46 | — | 3 | — | 137 | 19 | — | 23 | — | — | 16 | 13 | 25 | 35 | — | — | 5 | 55 | 46 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 6 | 1 | 126 | 6 | 120 | 237 | 297 | 237 | 297 | 272 | 272 | 162 | 272 | 8 | 272 | 1 | 79 | 943 | 126 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Uruguay - South | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Uruguay | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our El Barco surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the El Barco Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for El Barco provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at El Barco can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our El Barco 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 Barco) 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 Barco 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Uruguay - South? If you are looking for accommodation near El Barco, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Uruguay - South, consider staying in Maldonado which is 6 km (4 miles) away. Other places in and around Uruguay - South where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include San Carlos which is 17 km (11 miles) away, Minas, Rocha and La Paloma.
Nearest