El Cardon Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Part 2: Imperial

Alright, folks, Rusty here, same story, different units.

Let’s call it like it is: El Cardon is in a real rough patch for the next couple weeks. This is a point break that needs a clean west swell, but what we’re getting is a whole lot of wind from the wrong direction. The water is running warmer than usual for this time of year, about 72°F, and that’s a couple degrees above average.

The first chance to even look at the water is Monday, July 27th, in the afternoon. We’ve got a 3-foot swell from the southwest, with a real long 17-second period behind it. The combined energy is moderate (509). The problem? Wind is blowing 12 mph from the west-northwest, right onshore, making it choppy and no good. Tuesday, July 28th, morning sees the swell bump up to 4 feet, same long period, and the energy jumps to 707. The wind is a bit lighter at 9 mph, but it’s still cross-onshore and fairly choppy. It’s a marginal call at best, which means it’s not worth it.

We roll through the rest of the week. Wednesday the 29th, Thursday the 30th, Friday the 31st – all the same. Swell stays between 3 and 4 feet, the period drops from 17 down to 13 seconds, and the wind is always blowing from the west or west-northwest at 9 to 12 mph, keeping the ocean choppy and poor. The energy stays moderate (413–608), but it’s wasted.

Then the bottom falls out. The first weekend of August, the swell drops to 3 feet on Saturday the 1st, with a period of 10 seconds and a weak energy of 201. The wind is onshore. Sunday the 2nd is even worse, with 2 feet and 147 energy. This low point carries on through the whole first week of August. From Monday the 3rd to Friday the 8th, we’re looking at swell heights from 1 foot to 2 feet, with periods all over the place. The wind is light, but the swell is just too small. Energy stays weak, between 126 and 304. It’s a real dry spell.

The only flicker of something different is Friday, August 7th, in the afternoon. We get a 2-foot swell from the southwest with a very long 18-second period, and the energy climbs to 357. But the wind is still cross-onshore at 9 mph, and the swell is small. It’s the best of a bad bunch, and that’s not saying much.

The pattern holds into the second week. Saturday the 8th, Sunday the 9th, Monday the 10th, and Tuesday the 11th all show that same cross-onshore wind and small, poor surf. Swell sizes between 1 and 2 feet, periods between 15 and 20 seconds, but the wind never lets up. Energy hits 426 on Tuesday afternoon, but it’s all blown out.

So, bottom line: there’s nothing to recommend here for the next 16 days. The wind is wrong, the swell is too small, or both. For a point break that needs clean conditions, this is a total bust. If you’re into kiting, the wind might be enough, but for a surfer, you’re better off waiting for the next forecast update. It can’t stay this flat and blown out forever.

Rusty.

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