El Camotal Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for El Camotal. I gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle. There's a lot of cross-onshore wind and generally poor conditions, so we're going to be waiting a while for anything decent.

Right now, it's a struggle. The water’s sitting at a balmy 69°F, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year, so at least a wetty isn't mandatory. But for the first week, a persistent cross-onshore breeze is messing up the surface. The swell energy is mostly weak, with readings in the low double-digits (like 6 to 58) and even the higher energy days are paired with that messy wind. For instance, Tuesday the 14th has a 3ft south-west swell with a long 16-second period, which would be great for a point break, but the cross-on wind makes it "poor surf conditions". Through the following days, the swell drops to almost nothing, and then we get a pulse of energy on the 20th (around 3ft from the SW, 10 sec period, 328 energy), but the wind is still cross-on. It's a write-off for a proper surfer.

The real standout, and the only time I'd get excited, is looking a long way off. On Monday the 27th of July, the stars start to align. The wind swings offshore for the morning, blowing from the SW at 10 km/h (6 mph). That's a game-changer. We'll see a 3ft swell from the SW with a 18-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 713. That's a proper groundswell, folks. It's got length and power. The next morning, Tuesday the 28th, is also looking promising with a similar 4ft, 16-second SW swell and 794 energy. The wind is still light and cross-onshore, but it's light, so it might clean up a bit. This is the closest we get to a decent window. The size is manageable for intermediates, but the long period means it'll be a bit more challenging at a beach break like El Camotal. The best waves will be on the sets, but you'll have to be patient.

The 28th afternoon gets messy again with the wind picking up, and the 29th is more of the same story—decent swell energy (623-774) but the wind is back to the cross-onshore pattern. It's not perfect, but it's the best we've got. For any other time, I'd honestly say the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, given the persistent cross-winds and that moderate swell energy. Keep the board waxed, but don't hold your breath until the very end of the month.

Rusty.

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