El Chanquete Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s on the table.

To be straight with you, this 16-day stretch for El Chanquete looks pretty flat and ordinary for the most part. There are a couple of brief windows where the waves might be surfable, but honestly, nothing here is going to have you calling in sick. The water is sitting at 80°F, which is a whopping 6°F warmer than usual – that’s very unusual for this time of year, and it feels like you’re paddling in a warm bath.

Kicking off the first recommendation, on Monday morning, August 17th, there’s a small pulse of 3ft swell from the ESE at 6 seconds. It’s glassy with a light NW wind, which is a major positive for clean conditions. The combined wave energy is weak at just 64. It’s surfable, but very ordinary – you can get a few little knee-to-waist high ones, but it’s not going to blow your mind. Because it’s a beach and reef setup, the short 6-second period means these are weak, choppy lumps of windswell.

After that, we hit a massive dry spell. From Tuesday, August 18th all the way through to Saturday, August 30th, there is nothing worth paddling out for. That’s nearly two weeks of flat or poor conditions. Several days have waves under 2ft and scores of zero, with onshore winds or no energy at all. The combined energy hovers between 1 and 84, all weak.

You’ll need to wait until Sunday morning, August 30th, for the next mentionable window. We see a 3ft swell from the WSW at 5 seconds, with a clean cross-off breeze from the NNW. It’s still only weak energy (85), and the short period means it’s not going to hold up well, but early morning with that glassy wind might give you a few rideable waist-high waves. It’s still pretty average.

After that, it fizzles out again into the start of September with barely any swell at all.

So, the best on offer? Honestly, it’s a toss-up between Monday morning, August 17th and Sunday morning, August 30th, but neither is a standout. The 17th has the cleanest conditions with glassy wind, and the 30th has a fraction more swell but a short period. If I had to pick one, I’d say the 17th because you can surf it in the morning without wind ruining it, but keep your expectations low. There’s just not enough juice in the water for anything decent.

For a beginner, nothing gets over 5ft, so it’s safe, but it might be frustratingly small. For an expert, there’s nothing here.

Stay patient, amigos. This is a quiet spell.

Rusty

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