Chicama - El Cape / Keys Surf Break

Lat Long: 7.71° S 79.46° W

Chicama - El Cape / Keys Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 pm 06 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Chicama - El Cape / Keys sea temperature is
21.1°C
3.5° 

Chicama - El Cape / Keys surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Chicama - El Cape / Keys surf forecast from 7 Sep 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 9 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 17s period, SW swell with 974 kJ wave energy.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Chicama - El Cape / Keys this week:

The most powerful waves expected at Chicama - El Cape / Keys in the next 16 days are 1.3m 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 09) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.1m 12s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 10) at 4AM.

Wave TypeTime (-05) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful 1PM (Wed 9th Sep)4.5ft (1.3m) 17s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Chicama - El Cape / Keys over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming up for Chicama - El Cape / Keys. I gotta be straight with you, this one's a bit of a heartbreaker. We're looking at a 16-day window, and honestly, the conditions are just not playing nice for us. There's a lot of onshore wind on the cards, which is a real shame because there is some serious swell energy in the water. The combined swell energy is mostly sitting in the moderate range, hitting values like 521, 617, and even peaking at 834 on the Tuesday afternoon. That's plenty of power, but it's all being blown out. We start off on Sunday morning, the 6th of September, with a clean 4 ft SW swell, a long 13-second period, and light winds, but the word on the street is "poor surf conditions," so something's not clicking. The water is a balmy 70°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year.

Honestly, the whole first week is a write-off. The wind stays onshore and gusty, and despite the swell hanging around 3 ft to 4 ft from the SW with decent periods, every session is marked as poor. We get a bit of a break on the morning of Thursday the 17th of September, where the wind goes light and cross-on, and the score bumps up to a 1, but it's only a 2 ft SW swell. It's a marginal look at best.

The standout, and I use that term loosely, would have to be that Thursday morning, the 17th of September. It's the only time the wind isn't just hammering the place. For a point break like Chicama, you need that long, lined-up swell to wrap in clean. With the wind going light, a 2 ft SW swell from the optimum direction at 13 seconds could actually give you a few fun, rideable walls. The combined energy is a moderate 290, so there's some push there. Just don't expect perfection.

After that, the onshore winds return and the swell sizes drop off. There's a gap of several days from around the 18th of September onward where the recommendations are non-existent. The energy stays low, mostly in the 200s, and the period goes short and jumbled. It's a bleak run for the second week.

Look, I hate to say it, but this forecast is a dud for El Cape. There's no one session I can point to and say "go." The potential is there with that long-period SW groundswell, but the wind just won't cooperate. For a point break that needs clean conditions, this setup looks way more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing right now. Hang in there, the forecasts can change.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sun afternoon, min 20°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Wed afternoon, min 19°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Sun
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
Saturday
12
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.1
SW
13
0.9
SW
13
0.8
SW
17
0.8
SW
16
0.9
SW
15
1.1
SW
15
0.7
SW
16
0.9
SW
14
0.9
SW
14
0.9
SW
17
0.9
SW
16
1.1
SW
16
1
SW
15
1
SW
14
0.9
SW
14
0.8
SW
14
0.8
SW
13
1.2
S
8
1.3
S
8
1.4
S
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
380
286
334
310
390
543
268
336
331
414
376
628
418
407
341
218
208
172
212
264
Wind (km/h)
20
S
5
S
10
S
20
SSW
10
SE
20
S
25
SSE
25
SSE
20
S
25
SSE
20
SSE
15
S
25
S
20
SSE
15
S
25
S
20
SSE
20
S
25
S
20
SSE
Wind State
on
on
on
on
cross-on
on
on
on
on
on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
High Tide
1:34AM1.19m
1:17PM0.97m
2:30AM1.29m
2:22PM1.06m
3:15AM1.38m
3:15PM1.15m
3:54AM1.44m
4:01PM1.23m
4:30AM1.46m
4:44PM1.28m
5:04AM1.44m
5:25PM1.30m
Low Tide
6:32PM0.30m
8:04AM0.54m
7:45PM0.23m
8:56AM0.44m
8:42PM0.17m
9:39AM0.33m
9:29PM0.12m
10:17AM0.25m
10:12PM0.12m
10:52AM0.19m
10:52PM0.15m
11:25AM0.16m
11:30PM0.21m
clear
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part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:15
6:15
6:13
6:13
6:13
6:13
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:15
6:15
6:15
6:15
6:15
6:15
6:15
 mm
Temp °C
22
21
22
22
21
22
22
20
21
21
20
21
21
20
21
21
20
21
21
20
Feels °C
21
22
22
22
22
22
20
18
20
19
18
21
19
18
21
19
18
20
19
18
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the Chicama - El Cape / Keys Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Chicama - El Cape / Keys provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Chicama - El Cape / Keys can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Chicama - El Cape / Keys surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Chicama - El Cape / Keys) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).

Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Chicama - El Cape / Keys may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.

Chicama - El Cape / Keys is 18 km (11 miles) from Paijan. If you plan a holiday in La Libertad and Lambayeque, look for hotels and other accommodation in Paijan. Paijan has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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