El Camotal Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for El Camotal. Right now, things are pretty flat and messy, but we’ve got a bit of a pulse building as we head into next week. The wind is the main issue here – it’s mostly cross-onshore, so the surf is going to be choppy for the most part.

We start off on Wednesday, July 22nd, with tiny 3ft swell from the SW, but the 9 mph cross-onshore winds are making it a write-off – poor surf conditions, and the energy is weak (156). The afternoon sees the same story.

Thursday the 23rd is a bit of a tease. We’ve got a long-period groundswell coming in at 24 seconds, which is seriously long, and the combined energy jumps up (448). But the swell is only 2ft, and with that 9 mph cross-onshore wind, it’s still poor. That long period will make it tricky at a beach break like this, too.

Friday the 24th gets a little more interesting. The morning glass-off with a WSW wind at just 3 mph is the best window we’ve seen. The swell is still small at 2ft, but the energy is moderate (365). This is a marginal call, but that light wind could make for a few sneaky ones. The afternoon gets a bit more size at 3ft, but the wind picks up and goes cross-onshore again.

The weekend, Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th, is a mixed bag. The swell is around 3ft to 3ft, and the energy is building (528 to 927). But it’s all cross-onshore with light breezes, so it’s going to be bumpy and marginal. Not a total washout, but you’ll be working for it.

The real standout is shaping up for Monday, July 27th, and Tuesday, July 28th. The swell pushes up to 4ft - 5ft from the SW, and the combined energy goes strong with values of 1216, 1233, and 1249. This is the biggest swell of the period. The catch is the wind. Monday is still cross-onshore, but Tuesday morning has a very light onshore wind (SW 6 mph) that is described as "unknown" for state, which could mean it’s clean. If that happens, the 5ft swell with a 15-second period will be the best on offer. That’s proper groundswell with good shape, but it’s enough size to be a handful for beginners. This is your best bet.

After that, it slowly fades through the rest of the week and into the first week of August. The swell drops back to 3ft or less, and the cross-onshore winds just keep blowing. Expect a gap of several days with mostly poor surf conditions from the end of July into early August. The water temp is about average for the time of year.

So, to sum it up: forget the first few days, it’s grim. The window to watch is Tuesday, July 28th morning at El Camotal. If the wind plays ball, it’s the only real chance at a decent, chunky wave. Keep the faith, the ocean might just surprise us.

Rusty.

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