El Canal Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for El Canal over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you — this is a rough stretch. We’re lookin’ at a solid 16-day run with no real standouts, and the first 15 days are all marked as “poor surf conditions.” It’s not a total bust in terms of swell size, but the wind is bangin’ cross-shore almost every day, which is gonna leave that surface lumpy and chopped. The first recommendation doesn’t even pop up until the 30th of July, and even then, it’s a no-go.

Starting out Thursday the 30th of July, we’ve got clean skies but a 30 km/h cross-shore from the east, making a mess of things. The swell is 7 ft from the east with a short, weak period of 7 seconds — that’s pure windswell, no push, no shape. Wave energy is moderate at 342, but the wind kills it. Water temp is 83°, which is about average for this time of year, so at least you won’t be cold while you’re gettin’ frustrated.

Into Friday the 31st and Saturday the 1st of August, the story doesn’t change. East wind 20-30 km/h, cross-shore, swell drops a touch to 5 ft and 5 ft, still short period, still lumpy. The energy is moderate (305 to 234). Sunday the 2nd of August brings a bit of cloud and a risk of thunderstorms, but the wind is still cross-shore. Monday the 3rd of August through to Monday the 10th of August is more of the same — east cross-shore winds, 20-30 km/h, swell sizes fluctuating between 3 ft and 5 ft, and periods mostly in the 6-8 second range. Wave energy stays moderate, around 71 to 269. Not a single clean window.

Now, there’s a tiny glimmer for the morning of Wednesday the 13th of August. The wind finally shifts to a cross-offshore from the ESE at 25 km/h, and the conditions are described as “clean.” The swell is 4 ft from the east with a 7-second period, so still short, but the clean surface could make it rideable for an advanced surfer. That’s the best we’ve got in the whole 16 days, but it’s far from a standout. The energy is moderate at 174. The same setup repeats Thursday the 14th of August morning, but the swell drops to 4 ft and period stays 6 seconds.

After that, Friday the 14th of August afternoon, the wind goes back to cross-shore and the swell plummets. So, if you’re an expert looking for a challenge, maybe the 13th or 14th of August morning could be a look, but don’t get your hopes up. The rest of the time, the wind is just too strong and too cross-shore for any real quality. This setup actually looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, given the consistent cross-shore breeze and moderate swell.

Keep an eye on it, though — it tends not to stay poor for long, and forecasts can change. For now, the surf is flat and the wind is mean.

Rusty.

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