El Claron Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for El Claron, a point break that’s fairly consistent, exposed to the swell, and likes it from the SW.

We’re in for a bit of a slow start. The first real call is Wednesday afternoon, 29 July. It’s glassy, with a 4ft swell from the WSW, period 11 seconds, and the water’s sitting at 57°, which is about average for this time of year – nothing out of the ordinary there. The combined energy is a moderate 400. It’s clean, but the score is low, so it’s more of a warm-up session than anything special.

Moving into Thursday 30 July, the morning drops to 3ft with a light cross-breeze, so surfable but not great. That afternoon gets a bit more size at 4ft from the W, but the wind picks up to 12 mph cross-shore and it gets choppy – that’s one to skip.

Friday 31 July is where things start looking up a bit. The morning brings a 6ft swell from the WNW, period 10 seconds, with a clean cross-off breeze at 12 mph. The energy jumps to strong at 1001. That’s solid, but the afternoon settles into a cleaner 5ft with light NE winds. A decent day if you can pick your window.

Saturday 1 August is a standout. The whole day is glassy. The afternoon gets a 7ft swell from the WSW, 12-second period, and the energy is very strong at 1252. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers, and with no wind, it’ll be as clean as it gets. This is the best on offer in the first week. But note, bigger swell over 7ft like this is best for experienced crew – beginners might want to sit this one out.

Sunday 2 August fades a touch. Still a solid 6ft to 7ft from the W and WSW, but a light cross-breeze creeps in, making it not quite as perfect. Good waves, but with a slight bump.

Monday 3 August morning is glassy again with a 6ft swell from the WSW, energy at 778. That’s clean and fun. The afternoon gets a light cross-on breeze, so morning is the call.

From Tuesday 4 August into Wednesday 5 August, the swell hangs in, but the wind turns cross-on and choppy. The notable exception is Wednesday 5 August afternoon – a big 8ft swell from the WSW, period 16 seconds, and energy at 3156. That’s a very long-period groundswell, which will hold up best on a point like El Claron. It’s just a bit cross, so not perfect, but for strong surfers it’ll be a proper session.

After that, the second week runs a bit ragged. Thursday 6 to Saturday 8 August have size (5ft to 8ft) but the wind is mostly cross-on and moderate to fresh, making it choppy and poor. Not worth the paddle.

Sunday 9 August morning has a 6ft SW swell with light cross-on wind, energy at 1458, but the bump is there.

Then Monday 10 August morning is another potential gem – glassy conditions with a 6ft swell from the SW, period 12 seconds, energy at 1296. Excellent for experienced surfers. That’s your second-week standout.

The following days drop off in size, with winds turning cross-on again. But hold up – Thursday 13 August morning looks very promising. A big 10ft swell from the W, period 14 seconds, with a clean cross-off breeze from the SSE, and energy at 3099. That’s expert territory, and it’s clean. A serious session for serious surfers, but it’s over 8ft, so only for the experienced.

Overall, the absolute best days are Saturday 1 August and Monday 10 August mornings for clean, glassy conditions with decent size. The long-range Thursday 13 August morning is a big swell call that’s worth watching, but it’s a long way out, so don’t bank on it yet. Crowds are listed as “sometimes” here – so you might have company on the standout days, but it’s not a circus.

Rusty.

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