El Chanquete Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what we've got on offer for the coming weeks.

First thing to say, it's a bit of a slow start. There's a real gap here with no worthwhile surf for the first few days. The water is sitting at 78°, which is *much warmer than normal* for this time of year, so if you're just having a swim, it’s lovely, but for surfing, we're waiting.

Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th are a write-off - we're talking flat spells and tiny, short-period slop that's not worth paddling out for. The real wait stretches through until the tail end of the first week.

The first real chance to wet a line comes on Monday the 17th of August. El Chanquete, a beginner-friendly beach and reef setup, will see a tiny pulse of 4ft swell from the east. The energy is weak, only about 119 (moderate wave energy), and the period is a poor 6 seconds. The morning is looking glassy though – dead calm with that NW breeze giving us clean conditions. It's surfable, but only just, and very ordinary. Don't expect much.

Another long dry spell follows. Tuesday through to the end of the week barely registers, with the odd ankle-biter and poor winds. The standout period, and the only real highlight, is brewing for Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th of August.

Friday morning the 28th is the pick of the lot. El Chanquete will see a 4ft easterly swell with a 7-second period, and here’s the kicker – the combined energy climbs to 166 (moderate wave energy), a big jump from the rest of the forecast. The wind is dead calm in the morning, glass. It's going to be clean, with small but punchy waves. It's not big by any stretch, but it's the best we're going to get. Saturday morning the 29th also looks good with a similar 4ft easterly swell (159 energy) and light offshore breezes from the NNW, keeping it clean again. Because it’s a fairly consistent break, it should hold these little pulses.

For crowd factor, El Chanquete can get *sometimes* crowded, so if you can get in for the Friday or Saturday dawn patrol, you'll have your pick.

Overall, if you're hanging out for waves, don't bother with the first week and a half. The real play is the last few days of August. The Friday 28th morning looks the best on offer, with clean, glassy conditions and a little bit of energy. The Saturday 29th is a solid backup. After that, it drops right off again, so make the most of it.

Stay patient,
Rusty.

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