El Chanquete Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here, and I’ve gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks look pretty flat and uninspiring for our shores. We’ve got a long stretch of poor conditions ahead, so let’s break it down.

First up, the only real window of opportunity, and it’s a modest one, kicks off this Friday morning, the 24th of July, at El Chanquete. It’s a beach and reef setup, and while it’s fairly consistent, the swell is just not doing us any favours. The water’s sitting at about 74°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year.

Friday morning (24th July) is our best bet. We’ve got a 4ft swell rolling in from the WSW, but the period is a short 5 seconds, so it’s a bit weak and messy. That said, the wind is dead calm – glassy conditions – which will make it look a lot better than it is. The combined swell energy is weak (91), so don’t expect any power. It’s surfable, but it’s very ordinary. The break is exposed to the swell, and the optimum direction is SE, so the WSW swell is a bit off the mark. If you’re a beginner, this is doable, but it’s nothing to get excited about. Crowds are possible sometimes.

After Friday morning, the surf drops off fast. Friday afternoon is a write-off with cross-on wind and choppy conditions. The whole weekend from Saturday the 25th through to the end of the month is a dead zone – tiny waves, poor surf quality, and the swell energy is basically zero. There’s a gap of several days where there’s just nothing worth paddling out for.

We get a little flicker of something on Tuesday morning, the 28th of July. A 3ft swell from the ESE with a 6-second period, and offshore wind from the north. The combined swell energy is still weak (64), and again, it’s just “surfable but ordinary.” The early glassy mornings on the 29th and 30th of July offer the same – 3ft from the east, clean, but with low energy (around 92-94). These are the best of the rest, but they’re still not standouts.

From the 31st of July onwards, it’s a long, flat slog. The swell drops to below 3ft, the energy is minimal, and the wind is mostly cross-on or onshore. There are even days with zero waves. The only positive is some glassy mornings, but with nothing to ride, it’s just a calm sea. This continues right through to the 8th of August.

Honestly, for a spot that’s fairly consistent, this is a disappointing run. It’s one of those patches where you’re better off checking the forecasts again in a few days. For now, the only window is Friday morning (24th July) – and even that is a “take it or leave it” kind of session.

Rusty.

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