El Camotal Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's cookin'.

For the next little while, it's a bit of a tough one at El Camotal. The wind is pretty much always coming from the south or southwest, keeping it cross-onshore almost the whole time. That means clean, glassy waves are off the table for the most part. We've got swell, but the conditions never quite line up to make it a day to remember. You'll be battling a bit of chop and bump for most of the 16-day run.

The first real pulse of size comes in on Friday the 28th of August. The morning sees a solid 6 ft SW swell (1565 combined energy) with a nice 17-second period. This is proper groundswell, so there's plenty of power but the sets will be spaced out. The problem is that wind is still cross-onshore, so the waves will be lumpy. It's one of the better moments in the first week, but honestly, it's not a standout for a classic surf.

We've got to be honest, there's a long patch of pretty average-to-poor surf through the end of August and into the first days of September. Conditions stay messy, with the swell mostly in the 4 ft to 5 ft range under those persistent cross-onshore winds. It's not a total flat spell, just a frustrating one if you're chasing quality. The combined wave energy from the 30th of August onwards dips down below 1000 at times, so energy is moderate at best.

Things change a little in the second week. The best chances of something near decent are shaping up for Tuesday the 8th of September. The morning has a 5 ft SW swell with a long 18-second period (1544 combined energy). The wind is light and from the southwest, still cross-onshore but light enough that it might not ruin things entirely. It's the highest score in the whole outlook, so this is the one to watch. It's a promising call, but being over a week out, keep the hopes in check.

On Wednesday the 9th of September, the morning holds a similar 5 ft SW swell with a slightly shorter 16-second period (1392 combined energy) with that same light cross-onshore breeze. Another window where it could be worth a look.

The reason El Camotal doesn't fire here is the wind. The swell direction is southwest, but the optimum direction for the break is northwest. The energy just isn't hitting it right to overcome the wind. For a beginner spot, the chunks of swell over 5 ft might get a bit much, especially with the wind messing it up.

To sum it up: if you absolutely need to get wet, the 8th or 9th of September mornings are your best chances, but be ready for a bit of a battle. This isn't the one to circle on the calendar.

Rusty.

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