El Caño de la Culata Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. I’ve been staring at the charts for the next 16 days and I gotta tell you, it’s a real slow grind for El Caño de la Culata. This spot is sheltered, so it needs a particular key to turn on, and that key just isn't in the lock for this whole stretch.

We’re looking at a long, dry run. The whole 16-day window is pretty much a washout. The water temp is sitting at 72° with a tiny anomaly of 0.7°, so it’s feeling about as normal as you’d expect for this time of year. But the problem is there’s barely any energy hitting the beach. The combined swell energy sits at zero (0) for most of the mornings, and when it does show up in the afternoons, it’s only tiny readings like 2, 1, or 9. That’s weak stuff, hardly enough to push a sea lion around.

Let’s break down the few days that even have a pulse. Friday the 7th afternoon sees a tiny 0.7 ft from the WSW with a period of 4 seconds, but it’s onshore wind from the SW at 12 mph. That’s a no-go. Saturday the 8th afternoon is similar – 1.0 ft, WSW, period of 2 seconds, and onshore wind. Sunday the 9th afternoon picks up a little to 2 ft from the W, period of 4 seconds, but that wind is a cross-onshore at 19 mph, making it lumpy. The energy is still tiny (9).

Monday the 10th afternoon is a repeat of the 2 ft, WSW, with a cross-onshore wind at 19 mph (energy at 10). Tuesday the 11th afternoon drops to 2 ft from the W, period 3 seconds, cross-onshore at 16 mph (energy 5). Wednesday the 12th afternoon is a sad 1.0 ft from the W, period 2 seconds, onshore wind (energy 1). The 13th and 14th have glassy mornings but absolutely zero swell.

We get a little bump on Sunday the 16th afternoon with 3 ft from the WSW, period 4 seconds, but the wind is cross-onshore at 16 mph and the energy is still only 22. That’s the biggest wave of the whole period, but with onshore chop, it’s not going to be pretty. Monday the 17th morning has clean skies but a 19 mph cross-offshore wind and zero swell, so it’s just a wind farm.

The only glimmer of hope, and I mean a tiny glimmer, is Tuesday the 18th morning. We get a 1.0 ft from the SE, period 3 seconds, with the wind coming from the N at 9 mph, which is offshore. The combined energy is a measly 2, but the wind is clean. That’s your best bet if you’re desperate for a knee-high dribble. The rest of the time, it’s onshore or cross-onshore, making even the small bumps messy.

Since this break is fairly consistent on paper but the swell just isn't there, this blank run is a bit of a bummer, but it happens when the wind and swell windows don't line up. Keep the optimism, though – forecasts can turn. For now, the board stays in the car.

Rusty.

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