El Brusco Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's have a look at what's cooking for El Brusco over the next 16 days.

To be straight with you, from now until the end of August, it is a tough run. Most of the time the surf is described as poor. The first decent pulse of energy doesn't roll in until Thursday the 20th, and even then it’s not giving us a clean wave. The biggest problem is the wind. For the majority of the first week and a half, we’re dealing with cross, onshore or choppy conditions that just won't let the swell line up.

For the first few days, from Saturday the 15th through Wednesday the 19th, the swell is tiny, often under 3ft, with weak energy readings (down in the 11 to 86 range). It’s just not worth paddling out. The one brief silver lining is Monday morning the 17th, where we get glassy conditions with a 2ft swell, but the period is only 6 seconds, so it's weak and won't hold up.

We get a big jump in energy on Thursday the 20th. The morning shows a 2ft, 11-second groundswell from the NW, and the combined energy climbs to 114. That’s moderate energy, but the rating is still poor with onshore wind. By the afternoon, the swell pushes to 3ft with a period of 10 seconds and energy jumps to 212, still onshore.

The best few days on offer, relatively speaking, kick off Friday the 21st. We’ve got swell size up to 5ft from the NW with an 11-second period. The combined energy reads 582 (strong). The problem? The wind is cross-shore in the morning and that still defines it as marginal at best. It’s the only window where we might get a rideable wave, but it’s borderline.

On Saturday the 22nd, the swell drops to 4ft (NW, 10 secs), energy is 275 (moderate). Morning wind is light and cross-shore from the east, scoring this one a 1 out of 10. This is probably the most surfable window of the whole outlook. Not a standout, but if you're desperate, Saturday morning the 22nd is your best bet for something half-clean.

After that, it goes back to poor conditions. Sunday the 23rd has a glassy morning but only 2ft of swell. Then Monday the 24th delivers the biggest swell of the period at 8ft (NW, 9 secs) with energy hitting 924, but it’s a choppy mess with strong cross-onshore winds. That’s expert-only territory if you don’t mind the mess.

The last week of August, from the 25th onwards, the swell fades fast, the energy drops back to low readings (between 20 and 61), and the wind doesn't help. It’s just a flat, blown-out end to the month.

Bottom line: There’s no true standout session here. The closest we get to a worthwhile paddle is Saturday morning, August 22nd. The swell is 4ft from the NW with a 10-second period. The combined energy is 275. Winds are light and cross-shore from the east. It’s still marginal, but it's the cleanest option in a very ugly run. If you have to get wet, that's your window.

If you are a kiter, the bigger afternoons like the 21st and 24th might look interesting, but for a paddle surfer, it's a rough stretch.

Rusty.

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