El Canal (Rio de Bayamon) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you – the outlook for the next couple of weeks at El Canal (Rio de Bayamon) is a tough one. This is a sheltered rivermouth setup, and it very rarely breaks. Across the entire 16-day period, there are no standout days, and every single entry is marked by poor surf. The pattern is a lot of small, short-period windswell with persistent moderate to fresh east winds, which are cross-offshore. Even though the winds will keep the surface clean, the weak energy just won't line up to produce anything rideable.

The first recommendation of any kind doesn't pop up until Saturday the 4th of July, and even then, it's grim. The morning shows a 3.3 ft east swell with a period of 6 seconds, carrying only 84 units of combined energy. The afternoon is similar, 3.3 ft from the east at 7 seconds and 104 units. It's poor surf, and the energy is minimal.

We roll into Sunday the 5th, and it actually gets worse. The swell drops to a pathetic 0.7 ft from the north. The combined energy plummets to just 3 units in the morning and 6 in the afternoon. You'd be floating around, not surfing.

Monday the 6th offers a tiny bit more, but it’s still no good. The afternoon brings 3.6 ft from the east with a 6-second period, and energy climbs to 122 units. The cross-off wind is there, but the short period and weak energy make for a frustrating session. This pattern of small, short-period, low-energy swells continues day after day. Tuesday the 7th pushes 4.3 ft to 4.6 ft from the east-northeast, but with a 6-second period and a fresh 19 mph cross-off wind, it’s still all chop and no substance.

There is a slight kick in the energy mid-week. Wednesday the 8th shows 4.6 ft from the east-northeast with a 7-second period and 185-195 units of energy. Thursday the 9th is similar, 4.6 ft from the east-northeast, 7-second period, and 215 units of combined energy. But the fresh breeze at 19 mph is strong, and the overall wave comment is still “poor surf conditions.” This will be lumpy, choppy, and unappealing for a proper surf.

Things really flatline from Friday the 10th. The swell drops under 1.0 ft for days on end. There's a little pulse again on Tuesday the 14th of July, with 3.9 ft from the east at a 6-second period and 127 units of energy, but it’s the same story: cross-off wind, poor surf. By Wednesday the 15th, the wind shifts to a direct cross-shore at 16 mph, and the sea state becomes a moderate cross-shore with a cross-chop. That’s as unappealing as it sounds.

The strongest swell of the entire outlook shows up on Saturday the 18th of July – 4.9 ft from the east-northeast and east with a 7-second period, and combined energy hitting 200-220 units. That is moderate wave energy, the highest we’ll see. But the wind is still a moderate breeze cross-off, and the wave comment remains “poor surf conditions.” For a spot that rarely breaks, this just doesn’t have the quality or the right direction.

Honestly, this is a blank run. El Canal is a fickle break, and for the next two weeks, nothing is lining up. There’s simply no surf worth chasing. Keep the board in the car, check back in a week, and hope the forecasts change. The setup looks more interesting for a session on a kite than a paddle board.

Stay salty.

Read more