El Camotal Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here, and I've gotta be straight with you—this 16-day stretch for El Camotal is a real test of patience. The forecast is a long, drawn-out battle with small, onshore-affected swell, and the only half-decent window sits way out in the second week. We're looking at a gap of nearly a week from now before anything even sniffs at being surfable, but let's walk through it.

Right now, the water is a balmy 70°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year—a nice surprise if you're paddling out, but the waves won't be doing you any favours. Through Wednesday 19 August and into early next week, it's all small stuff. The combined wave energy is weak, reading between 54 and 217 (kilojoules per square metre, but we just call it energy), with swell heights barely scraping 3 ft. The wind is mostly cross-onshore from the south, so the surface is choppy and messy. The swell is coming from the southwest, which isn't even the optimum direction for this spot—El Camotal loves a northwest swell. So, it's a no-go. The conditions are poor, with scores bottoming out at zero.

Come Saturday 22 August morning, there's a tiny flicker of hope. The wind goes offshore from the west-southwest, and we get a 1 ft southwest swell with a period of 19 seconds. That's a long-period groundswell, which could wrap in with some shape, but it's so small it's barely a ripple. The energy is moderate (205), but it's a marginal call at best. The same goes for Sunday 23 August morning—similar size, similar offshore wind, but still tiny. These are days for the optimist with a longboard who's happy to just get wet.

Then the forecast really goes quiet. From Monday 24 August right through to the morning of Friday 28 August, it's all very small, cross-onshore, with poor surf conditions. The energy drops to near zero on some days, with no swell forecast at all on Wednesday 26 August morning. That's a solid stretch of flatness.

But hold on—Friday 28 August morning is where things finally get interesting. The swell jumps up to 8 ft from the southwest, with a period of 17 seconds. The combined energy is a massive 3088—strong, powerful wave energy. The wind is offshore from the southwest at just 3 mph, which is nearly glassy. That's a big, clean, long-period groundswell hitting the coast. However, at 8 ft, this is getting into expert territory. It's a marginal call due to tide or other factors, but this is the standout of the window. The southwest swell direction isn't the spot's ideal, but with that much energy and offshore wind, it'll still produce some serious waves. The afternoon's a touch bigger at 8 ft, but the wind goes cross-onshore, so the morning is the pick.

Saturday 29 August still holds size at 8 ft in the morning, but the wind is cross-onshore, and the energy drops to 2195. It's still powerful, but getting messier. By Sunday 30 August, the swell is dropping to 6 ft, and the wind is still cross-onshore, so the quality fades.

After that, from Monday 31 August onward, the swell drops right back down to tiny, weak, and choppy, with no real redeeming windows. The energy falls to 62 by the morning of the 31st.

So, the bottom line: if you're an expert surfer, clear your morning for Friday 28 August. That's your best shot—clean, offshore, with a solid 8 ft groundswell from the southwest. The rest of the run is a write-off. For the beginners and intermediates, this forecast is a washout. The spot is consistent, so it's frustrating, but it's a poor run at the wrong time of year. Sometimes you just have to sit it out.

Rusty

Read more