El Claron Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for El Claron over the next couple of weeks.

First up, we’ve got a solid run of groundswell setting in from the get-go. The water is sitting at 58°F and running a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, which is a nice little bonus for the early paddle out.

The action kicks off Monday afternoon, August 3rd, but it’s nothing to get too excited about. We’re looking at a 7ft swell from the WSW with a 12-second period, but the wind is cross from the SSW at 9 mph, so it’s gonna be a bit lumpy. The combined energy is moderate at 1263, but it’s really just a warm-up session.

Tuesday, August 4th, is pretty much the same story – similar swell but with cross-on wind, so expect some chop. Not going to be the cleanest lines.

Now, Wednesday morning, August 5th – this is where we start talking. That morning session is the standout of the first week. The swell is still a solid 7ft from the WSW, 12-second period, and the wind goes glassy. Absolutely dead calm. The combined energy is pumping at 1528. This is prime, clean, lined-up surf for the experienced crew. If you’re an intermediate, it will be a grunt but worth it. The afternoon holds up okay, but the wind switches to a light cross-on, so the morning is the pick.

Thursday August 6th, the swell bumps up to 8ft in the morning and 10ft in the afternoon from the SW. The period is hanging in there, but the wind picks up to 12-19 mph cross-shore, turning it into a bit of a washing machine. The energy is strong (2385 morning, 1966 afternoon), but it’s messy. More of a kite day than a paddle day, honestly.

Friday August 7th sees the swell drop and the period shorten to 8 seconds. The energy drops off hard too. This is a lull day. Saturday August 8th brings a big, long-period swell back – 10ft from the SW with a 14-second period, but the wind is cross-on in the afternoon, ruining what could have been a good thing. The morning is just about surfable with a gentle cross-shore, and the energy is very strong at 3093. This is for experts only, and even then, it’s a gamble on the tide.

We have a decent run from Sunday August 9th through Tuesday August 11th. Swell stays in the 5ft to 8ft range, SW direction, with a long period. The winds are light to moderate, mostly cross or cross-on. The morning of Sunday the 9th has the highest energy of the whole run at 3192, but again, it’s a cross-shore wind. Consistent, but not perfect.

There’s a real gap from Wednesday August 12th all the way through Friday August 14th. The swell just drops off the cliff. Wednesday morning is 3ft, afternoon is 2ft – total dud. Thursday and Friday are only marginally better with a long-period, small leftover swell. Thursday morning the 13th is glassy though, with a 4ft, 16-second period swell. It’s tiny, but if you’re desperate and on a log, it’s clean.

The second week’s best shot comes on Saturday, August 15th. The morning session is glassy again, with a 5ft swell from the W, 13-second period. The energy is moderate at 1210. That’s a proper, clean, fun-sized wave for the experienced surfer. The afternoon gets a bit bumpy with a cross-on breeze.

After that, it’s a slow fade again. Sunday the 16th through Tuesday the 18th is mostly small, messy, or cross-on. Nothing to write home about.

Best on offer: Wednesday morning, August 5th (7ft, WSW, glassy), and the Saturday morning, August 15th session (5ft, W, glassy) are the true standouts. The Saturday August 8th morning has the biggest, most powerful swell, but it’s not clean. If you can handle the size and a bit of chop, it’s there for the experts.

Rusty.

Read more