El Canal Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s happening at El Canal for the next couple of weeks. I’ll level with you – it’s a grim outlook. The whole 16-day stretch is a total washout for decent waves. This kind of long, empty run isn’t typical for the area, but sometimes the ocean just goes to sleep on you.

From Monday morning, September 14th, we’re looking at a weak, short-period easterly swell around 3 ft with a 10-second period. The wind is a steady easterly cross-shore at 9 mph, which just messes up any chance of a clean wave. The combined swell energy is a weak 132, and the call is poor surf conditions. That sets the tone for the whole period. There is no standout day, no hidden gem – just a long stretch of messy, weak surf.

The water temp is a warm 84°, and with an anomaly of just +0.5°, it’s about average for this time of year – nothing unusual there.

Through the rest of that first week and into the second, the swell height barely gets above 3 ft, the period stays short and choppy (mostly under 8 seconds), and that cross-shore wind just never stops. There’s a little spike in combined energy on September 18th, hitting 199, but it’s still a 3 ft east swell with a 7-second period and easterly cross-shore wind at 16 mph – the surf quality is still junk.

By September 29th, the swell pushes up to 4 ft, but the period is still short at 6 seconds. The wind finally drops to a light breeze at 6 mph, which is the cleanest it gets, but the swell is weak and messy. The combined energy is 176 – still just moderate. For this spot, with that east exposure and the optimum direction being north, that east swell isn’t doing it any favours.

Honestly, if you’re a kite surfer, that constant cross-shore wind and bumpy, weak swell might look more interesting than it does for a paddle surfer. For the rest of us, there’s nothing worth paddling out for. Forecasts can change, but right now, this is a two-week blank.

Rusty.

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