El Camotal Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. Right now, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The surf is pretty ordinary for the first few days, but there’s some light at the end of the tunnel. The wind is mostly cross-on at El Camotal, which is a real bummer, and the only break on the radar is a beginner-friendly spot. It’s consistent, but we’re looking at a bit of a wait for anything decent.

So, the first real chance of a wave comes on Sunday afternoon, August 2nd, but honestly, it’s a write-off. The swell is a tiny 2 ft from the SW, and with a cross-on wind at 12 mph, it’s choppy and messy. The water is feeling weirdly warm – 71 °F, which is a huge 6 °F above normal for this time of year. That’s very unusual.

We’ve got a dry spell for the next few days. Monday the 3rd through Wednesday the 6th all show poor surf conditions. The swell builds a bit, hitting 4 ft by Wednesday afternoon, but that cross-on wind just won’t let up.

By Thursday morning, August 7th, we start to see something. The swell is 5 ft from the SW with a period of 15 seconds, which is a nice long-period groundswell. The combined energy is up at 847 (moderate), but the wind is still cross-on from the S at 6 mph. It’s a marginal call, but that long period means there’s some grunt in the water. At 5 ft, it’s still manageable for most, but it’s not clean.

The real standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, is the morning of Friday, August 14th. The swell is 4 ft from the SW with a period of 16 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is a solid 728 (moderate). The wind is light from the SSW at 6 mph, so it’s almost glassy. This is the best on offer in the whole window. The waves will be clean, with good shape, and at that size, it’s a fun wave for the experienced crew. The crowd at El Camotal can be a thing sometimes, so get in early.

Later in the second week, the swell keeps going. On Monday, August 17th, we see the biggest swell of the whole period – 5 ft from the SW with a period of 16 seconds, and the combined energy hits 1096 (strong). But the wind is still cross-on from the SSW at 9 mph, which puts a bit of a chop on it. It’s a marginal call, but for the more experienced surfers, there’s plenty of power to play with.

Overall, it’s a slow start, but the second week has some real promise, especially that Friday morning. Don’t get too excited about the first week; you’ll be spending more time looking at the water than riding it.

Rusty.

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