El Brusco Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get this out there. It’s Rusty.

Well, I’ve got to be straight with you. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper surf at El Brusco. We’ve got a whole lotta nothing on the horizon for the first week, and the waves that do show up are going to be small, short-period, and messy. The wind’s mostly cross or cross-on, which won't do us any favors. It’s one of those stretches where the ocean looks like a lake with a bit of a chop on it.

Starting Wednesday the 12th, we’re looking at a tiny 2ft swell from the NNW with a period of 8 seconds. The energy is weak, coming in at 49. To be honest, it’s just not worth paddling out for. That NE wind at 3 mph is cross-on, creating a few ripples but nothing clean. The water temp is 74°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s something, I guess.

We roll through the rest of the week and into the weekend with the same story. Swell heights hover around 1ft to 2ft, with periods mostly in the 8-10 second range. The energy stays weak, in the 39 to 97 range. There’s a slight bump on Saturday afternoon with 3ft from the NNW, but the period drops to a terrible 6 seconds. That’s just wind chop, not surf. The wind stays cross or onshore, so it’s going to be lumpy and uninviting.

Sunday the 16th sees a bit more size, with 4ft to 5ft from the NNW, and the energy picks up to 178 and 226. The period is still a weak 8 seconds, and with the wind on it, it’s going to be a mess. This isn't a surf forecast; it's a weather report for choppy water.

Monday the 17th is much the same. 4ft to 4ft at 7 seconds, energy around 132-153. It’s still junky. The wind is either cross or on, so expect bumpy, sectiony waves that are hard to ride. This is not the day to get your hopes up.

We get a bit of a drop through Tuesday and Wednesday, with the swell fading back to 1ft to 3ft. The period remains pathetic at 5-6 seconds. There’s a moment on Wednesday morning the 19th with glassy conditions, but there’s no swell to surf. It’s a complete flat spell.

Now, for the more interesting part. Late in the window, around Friday the 21st, we see the period start to climb. The swell is still small, at 1ft to 2ft, but we get a 13-second period and the energy jumps to 139 and 177. That’s a sign of a more organized groundswell, but the size just isn’t there. It’s a tantalizing tease.

The following week, the energy picks up a bit more. We see 3ft from the NNW on the 22nd with a 10-second period and energy around 130. But the wind is starting to blow. By Sunday the 23rd, we’ve got rain showers and 16 mph winds, making conditions poor.

The real standout, if you can even call it that, is Monday the 24th. The swell bumps up to 6ft from the NNW with a 7-second period. The combined energy is a strong 617, which is a serious amount of juice. But, and this is a big but, the period is short, and the wind is a fresh 16-22 mph cross-shore. This isn't a surf forecast; it’s a kite-surfing forecast. The waves will be stormy, lumpy, and blown out. For a beach break like this, with that much wind and short-period swell, it’s going to be a washing machine. Only experts should even consider it, and even then, it’s going to be a battle, not a joyride.

After that, it fades quickly back to nothing. The 25th and 26th are back to small, weak, and messy. The 27th shows a 11-second period in the afternoon, but with only 1ft of swell, it’s still not enough to get excited about.

So here’s the bottom line. There’s no clean, quality surf in this entire 16-day window. The first week is a total write-off. The second week has a couple of pulses of energy, but they’re all ruined by bad wind and short periods. The 24th has the most size and power, but it’s for experts only, and even then, it’s going to be a battle, not a joyride. For the average surfer, it's boards in the car, and maybe a beach walk instead. It’s not a good look, but it won’t last forever. Forecasts change.

Rusty.

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