El Camotal Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s shaping up for El Camotal.

Honestly, mate, the next 16 days are a bit of a struggle. We’ve got a long stretch of small, choppy, and pretty forgettable surf. The water is sitting at 72°, which is 7° warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s very unusual, and it’s the only thing that’s really firing. The swell is coming from the southwest, which is a solid direction for this spot, but the wind is the problem. It’s almost always cross-onshore, and that’s keeping things messy.

Wednesday the 29th of July offers the first glimpse of surf, but it’s just a tease. The swell is 5 ft from the SW, with a period of 13 seconds, and the combined energy is moderate (767). It’s a groundswell, which could mean some lines, but the cross-onshore wind is making it bumpy and the forecast says it’s marginal. Not worth rushing out.

Thursday the 30th through to Wednesday the 5th of August is a real dry spell. Swell drops through the 2 ft to 4 ft range, and it’s almost always cross-onshore with a light to gentle breeze. The wind is either creating small ripples or a choppy mess. The combined energy stays weak to moderate, peaking at 575 on the 5th, but that’s still not enough to get excited about. There’s a gap of several days with no real recommendations.

Now, the first real standout comes on Thursday the 6th of August. The morning sees a 4 ft swell from the SW, but with a very long period of 17 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy jumps to 1072, which is strong. The wind is light cross-onshore, so while it’s not perfect, it’s the cleanest we’ve seen. Be aware that with a period that long, the waves might stand up and break a bit straight at the beach, but at El Camotal, it could still offer some decent lines. This is the best on offer.

Friday the 7th of August also holds some promise. The morning swell holds at 5 ft from the SW, with a period of 15 seconds, and the combined energy is strong (1140). Wind is light cross-onshore again. This is the second best option. The afternoon gets a bit more wind and less energy, but the morning is worth a look.

After that, from Saturday the 8th of August onwards, it’s back to a slow decline. Swell drops to 4 ft and then down to 2 ft, and the wind picks up again. The period from the 9th to the 13th shows some long-period swell (up to 21 seconds on the 9th), but the wave heights are small and the wind is still onshore. The combined energy occasionally spikes, like on the 10th of August afternoon with 861, but it’s still paired with poor conditions.

Honestly, if you’re a kite surfer, the consistent cross-onshore wind and the moderate chop might be more interesting. For a paddle surfer, this is a waiting game. The best bet is to pencil in the morning of Thursday the 6th of August for a chance at some clean, long-period lines. But don’t get your hopes up too high for the rest of the run.

Rusty.

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