El Chanquete Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m Rusty, and here’s the straight-up local outlook for the El Chanquete area.

Let’s be honest with each other – this is a tough stretch ahead. The next 16 days are looking pretty flat and uninspiring, with a lot of days where you’ll be watching the horizon from the beach rather than riding it. There’s a gap of no real surf for the first couple of days, and then a long run of very small, weak waves. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

The only time we see anything remotely rideable is around Monday the 17th of August. Early that morning, we get a little bump of 4 ft swell from the ESE, with a short period of 6 seconds and moderate energy (123). The wind is light offshore from the north, which will keep things clean. It’s a small, weak wave – best for beginners or longboards, and even then, it’s ordinary. The wave quality is pretty poor, so it’s more about getting wet than getting a good wave. This break is a beach and reef setup, exposed to the swell, and the optimum direction is from the SE. The crowds are sometimes an issue, but with this tiny surf, I doubt many will bother.

After Monday morning, it’s back to near-zero swell for the rest of the period. Tuesday the 18th through to the end of August are all “poor surf conditions” with tiny, weak, and often messy waves. There are a few mornings with glassy conditions, but nothing with enough size or energy to get excited about. The energy values are almost all below 100 (weak), and the swell heights are mostly under 2 ft.

So, I’ll sum it up: hold on to your boards, because we’re in for a quiet spell. If you have to paddle out, Monday the 17th morning is your best (and really only) chance, but keep your expectations low. It might be more interesting for kite surfers than paddle surfers on some of these afternoons when the wind picks up. Stay tuned, forecasts can change, but for now, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty

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