El Coco Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a long look at what's on the cards for El Coco over the next couple of weeks. The water temperature is sitting at 84°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so you won't need a thick suit.

The honest truth is, the start of this forecast period is a bit of a write-off for decent waves. We're looking at a solid gap with no real recommendations from Thursday the 6th right through until late in the second week. The swell energy coming in is moderate at best, but the winds are mostly a strong cross-off or fresh offshore breeze, making it tricky. It's clean, sure, but the surf is poor and just not offering much for a paddle surfer. Given the persistent strong wind and small, weak swell at an exposed beach setup, this stretch looks more interesting for kite surfing than for a traditional surf session.

Things finally start to look interesting on Tuesday the 11th of August. The afternoon session is a real standout. We get a clean, 2ft SW groundswell with a very long period of 18 seconds. That long period means proper energy and shape, even if the sets are a bit more spaced out. The wind drops to a moderate offshore breeze from the ENE, and the combined swell energy jumps to a strong 553. This is the best call on offer. It’s a beginner-friendly spot by nature, so the size is manageable, but that quality offshore wind will have it looking its best. Just be aware it can get busy here.

Into the following week, the swell sticks around but the quality drops off. The morning of Friday the 14th has a similar 3ft SW groundswell with an 18-second period and a fresh offshore breeze, but the forecast is more marginal. The combined energy is high at 633, but the conditions are harder to read.

The biggest swell of the window shows up on Saturday the 15th of August, with the morning seeing 4ft from the SW. However, that's coupled with a strong offshore breeze (25 mph), which, while clean, makes it a real battle to paddle into. The combined energy hits 887, showing there's plenty of power, but this is one for the experts only. The size and the wind will make it a handful for anyone without serious experience.

For the rest of the run-up to the 21st, we're back into a pattern of small, clean but ultimately poor surf. The energy drops back into the moderate range, and while the wind often stays offshore, the waves just aren't delivering the quality we'd want.

So, to wrap it up: the early days are a blank. Don't waste your time. Keep your eyes locked on Tuesday the 11th of August for the best window of clean, long-period groundswell. The weekend of the 15th brings more size, but that's expert territory only.

Rusty.

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