El Camotal Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk about El Camotal. Over the next 16 days, it’s not looking like a classic run. We’ve got a persistent cross-onshore wind situation that’s going to keep things choppy and messy for most of the period. There’s no real standout day where everything lines up perfectly, but there are a few windows where you might get something half-decent if you’re desperate for a paddle.

The forecast kicks off on Sunday morning, August 30th, with a SW swell coming in at 5ft, period around 13 seconds, and moderate combined wave energy (940). The wind is a cross-on from the SSW at 9 mph, so it’s going to be fairly choppy. Not great, but if you’re a beginner looking for something small and weak, it’s rideable. The afternoon stays similar but the wind picks up to 12 mph, making it worse.

Monday the 31st drops a little in size to 4ft, and the conditions are still poor with that same cross-onshore wind. Honestly, the first week is a write-off. The wind never shifts offshore, and the swell quality is marginal at best.

Things get a tiny bit more interesting around Thursday, September 3rd, when the swell bumps up to 4ft with a long 18-second period, and combined energy jumps to 1034. The wind is still cross-on but light at 6 mph, so it’s less choppy. Still not clean, but the longer period means the waves will have more shape and power if you can find a bank that handles a long-period swell. This is about the best we get in the first week, but it’s still only a marginal call.

By Friday, September 4th, we hit the biggest swell of the period: 6ft from the SW, with a 16-second period and strong energy (1532). The wind is still light cross-on (6 mph) in the morning. That’s the pick of the whole outlook, honestly. It’s not perfect, but for El Camotal, that’s about as good as it’s going to get. The afternoon sees the wind pick up again, so make sure you get out early.

From there, the swell slowly fades through the second week. The morning of Saturday, September 5th still has 5ft and light wind (6 mph), but it’s the same cross-on story. That morning session is your second-best bet. After that, the size drops to 4ft and below, and the wind stays stubbornly cross-onshore or onshore for most of the remaining days.

The water temperature is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual.

There’s a brief moment on Saturday, September 12th, and Sunday, September 13th, where the wind goes “on” from the SW and WSW, which means it’s offshore. But the swell is tiny — 2ft to 3ft — and the period is long (13-18 seconds), so you’re looking at small, clean waves with long lulls. Not much to get excited about, but if you’re a logger or a longboarder, you might score a few glassy runners.

Overall, the best advice is to keep an eye on Friday morning, September 4th. That’s the one day with the most size, decent period, and light wind. After that, it’s a slow grind of poor to marginal conditions. If you’re set on surfing, go early, go small, and don’t expect much.

Rusty.

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