Surf Forecasts:
Chicama - El Cape / Keys surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 9s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 13s period, SSW swell with 1,430 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 9s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Chicama - El Cape / Keys this week:
The surf forecast for Chicama - El Cape / Keys over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 15s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Chicama - El Cape / Keys in the next 16 days are 2.1m 13s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (-05) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 13s |
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 we've got on the cards for the next couple of weeks. It's a bit of a mixed bag, so let's get into it.
First up, the outlook for the whole period is pretty grim. We're looking at a long stretch of blown-out, poor surf conditions that just won't seem to let up. The water temperature is sitting at a very unusual 73°, which is 8° warmer than normal for this time of year – that's a major anomaly, something you'd definitely notice when you paddle out.
The only glimmer of a chance, and honestly it’s a slim one, is on Friday the 21st of August for the morning session at Chicama - El Cape / Keys. The swell is 4 ft coming from the S with a 9-second period (moderate energy around 396). The wind is a light 6 mph from the SW, making it a cross-onshore breeze. The report calls it "marginal", and I’d agree. The wave energy is weak, but this one spot at least offers a tiny window of possibility. Don't expect greatness, but with the light wind, it might be just about surfable if you're desperate.
Other than that, the entire 16-day window is a washout. After the 21st, we've got nearly 10 days of "poor surf conditions" with onshore winds that are mostly moderate to fresh breezes. The swell shows up a bit bigger from the 18th to the 20th (6 ft to 7 ft from the SSW), but it’s paired with strong onshore winds that make it a complete mess. That kind of setup, with strong wind and a beach setup, honestly looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
So, the honest truth? Keep your expectations low. The only standout is that brief window on the 21st, and even that’s a gamble. For the rest, it’s a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sun morning, min 20°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Thu morning, min 20°C on Wed afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Wed afternoon, calm by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 458 | 458 | 286 | 466 | 245 | 341 | 453 | 1342 | 666 | 884 | 938 | 579 | 383 | 383 | 326 | 275 | 230 | 181 | 113 | 94 | 117 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 7:14PM1.17m | 7:25AM1.28m | 8:01PM1.11m | 7:58AM1.16m | 8:54PM1.04m | 8:33AM1.04m | 9:58PM0.98m | 9:16AM0.94m | 11:23PM0.94m | 10:22AM0.86m | 00:56AM0.96m | 11:55AM0.83m | 2:04AM1.01m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:14PM0.24m | 1:12AM0.32m | 1:50PM0.28m | 1:53AM0.45m | 2:28PM0.33m | 2:36AM0.56m | 3:09PM0.38m | 3:31AM0.66m | 4:04PM0.43m | 5:10AM0.73m | 5:25PM0.46m | 7:30AM0.71m | 6:54PM0.43m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | | | |  | | | | | | |  | | | | | | |
 | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — |
 | — | 6:17 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 20 |
Feels °C | 21 | 20 | 17 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SSW 9 | SW 14 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 13 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SW 16 | SSW 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 |
| kJ | 458 | 458 | 286 | 466 | 245 | 341 | 251 | 269 | 666 | 884 | 28 | 579 | 383 | 61 | 326 | 275 | 230 | 181 | 113 | 86 | 78 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | — | SW 16 | SSW 10 | SW 16 | — | SW 14 | W 11 | SW 20 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 13 | SW 14 | W 14 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
| kJ | 7 | — | 264 | 36 | 206 | — | 453 | 2 | 15 | 88 | 41 | 83 | 54 | 4 | 64 | 103 | 96 | 85 | 59 | 52 | 50 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 12 | — | SSW 10 | — | — | — | — | WSW 18 | W 16 | W 10 | SW 12 | W 14 | SW 13 | SW 21 | SW 21 | WSW 20 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 |
| kJ | — | — | 3 | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | 30 | 5 | 2 | 23 | 4 | 7 | 18 | 17 | 38 | 96 | 94 | 117 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | — | SSW 14 | S 7 | — | SSW 11 | — | S 9 | SSW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 3 | — |
| kJ | 81 | 120 | 148 | 124 | 148 | 196 | — | 1342 | 187 | — | 938 | — | 194 | 383 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 257 | 563 | 2 | 563 | 589 | 2 | 433 | 563 | 2 | 99 | 563 | 2 | 2 | 546 | 2 | 261 | 56 | 2 | 2 | 563 | 56 |
Best forecast wave conditions in La Libertad and Lambayeque | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Peru | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Chicama - El Cape / Keys surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest