Chicama - El Cape / Keys Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty, and I've got a look at the next couple of weeks for you. Honestly, it's a bit of a tough stretch for the most part, with a lot of onshore wind and messy conditions. The water is a real standout though – at Chicama - El Cape / Keys (El-Cape), it's sitting at a balmy 72°F, which is a whopping 8°F warmer than usual for this time of year. That's seriously unusual, so you'll be in boardshorts for sure.

The first week is pretty grim. From Wednesday the 19th through to the end of the following week, we're looking at poor surf conditions day after day. The wind is constantly blowing from the south or south-southeast, mostly onshore, and that's trashing the waves. The swell does have some moderate energy at times – like the 1101 (moderate) on Wednesday morning – but it's all about 6ft from the SSW with a period of 11 seconds, which just isn't doing anything special with that wind. There's a short gap where things look a little better on Friday the 21st morning, with a light breeze and a 4ft S swell, but it's still only rated as marginal. The surf just never gets clean.

We then hit a real flat spell from around Sunday the 23rd through to Thursday the 27th. The swell drops to under 3ft, with periods getting longer – up to 20 seconds on Thursday the 27th afternoon – but the energy is weak (561 on the 27th afternoon) and the wind is still onshore. It's a real waiting game.

Now, there's a glimmer of hope in the second week. Things start to look promising on Friday the 28th of August. We've got a 7ft SW groundswell (with a period of 17 seconds) and the wind is a light 9 mph from the south. The combined energy jumps right up to 2293 (very strong), indicating a lot of power. The swell height is over 5ft, so it's getting a bit much for beginners, but it's still manageable for most. The direction is SW, which is a touch off the optimum SW, but it's close. The wind is still onshore, but it's light, so while it's not ideal, it's a huge step up from what we've seen. This is rated as marginal, but it's the best of a bad bunch. Saturday the 29th morning holds similar potential with a 7ft SW swell and 15-second period, again with light winds, and energy at 1801.

So, the standout here is the morning of Friday the 28th of August. It's the biggest, most powerful swell we see, and it's the best chance of some decent waves. Keep in mind it's a long-range call, so it's promising but not locked in. If you're a beginner, the swell might be a bit too much, but for everyone else, it's worth a look. The light winds should keep it cleaner than anything else on offer.

Rusty

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