El Chanquete Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – if you’ve got a paddle board, you might want to leave it at home for the next week or so. The waves at El Chanquete (beach and reef) are tiny and weak, and the conditions are mostly flat or choppy. The water’s sitting at 75°, which is about 5° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a pretty big anomaly, so it’ll feel like a warm bath if you do get in.

We kick off Friday afternoon, July 3rd, with a weak 3ft swell from ESE at a short 6-second period, but the wind is cross-on from the SE at 9 mph, making it a messy, choppy mess. The combined swell energy is just 68 – that’s weak. Honestly, not worth paddling out.

Saturday morning, July 4th, is cleaner with offshore wind from the N at 3 mph, but that same 3ft ESE swell is still limp and short-period, and the energy drops to 58. Still poor. Saturday afternoon sees the wind swing cross-on again from the SE at 9 mph, and the swell disappears – a flat, crummy afternoon.

Sunday morning, July 5th, has a smaller 2ft swell from ESE at 6 seconds, but the wind shifts offshore from the NNE at 6 mph, so it’s clean. The energy’s only 31 though, so it’s barely life. Sunday afternoon goes cross-on and flat again. Monday through Wednesday of the first week are a write-off – we’re looking at swell heights between 0.7ft and 2ft, with weak energy values in the single digits. A few glassy moments Monday morning (NNE 3 mph) and Tuesday morning (N 3 mph), but the waves are so small they’re not even surfable.

Now, Thursday morning, July 9th, we get a clean cross-off wind from NNW at 6 mph, but there’s no swell at all. Nothing. That afternoon, a tiny 2ft SW swell arrives with a paltry 3-second period and energy of just 6. Still no go.

Here’s where it gets a bit interesting – Friday morning, July 10th. We see the biggest swell of the whole 16-day window: 5ft from the WSW at a 6-second period. The combined energy jumps to 132, which is moderate. The wind is cross-off from the NW at 9 mph, so it’s clean. This is the best on offer, but it’s still only “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions” – the short period and exposed beach-and-reef setup means the waves will be crumbly and disorganised. Not a standout for experienced surfers, but if you’re a beginner looking for something tiny and clean, this is your window. Friday afternoon, the swell pushes to 6ft (energy 183), but the wind goes cross-shore from the W at 9 mph, creating a bit of chop. That’s too big for beginners, and the quality drops.

Saturday morning, July 11th, has a smaller 4ft WSW swell (energy 69) and clean cross-off wind from the NW at 6 mph – again, surfable but ordinary. After that, the whole second week is a desert. From Sunday, July 12th, all the way to Saturday, July 18th, swell heights are barely above 2ft, periods are short, and the combined energy rarely hits double digits. Winds are often glassy or light, but there’s no wave power to work with. The rare spot of interest is Friday morning, July 17th, with a glassy 2ft E swell (energy 15) – but that’s a micro-swell.

Bottom line: The only real chance to get wet is Friday, July 10th, during the morning session. It’s not going to be memorable, but it’s the best of a flat period. After that, you’re looking at a solid 7-day stretch of nothing worth paddling for. Hang tight.

Rusty.

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