El Coco Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with the long-range look. We’re looking at El Coco, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag to start. The first real chance for a paddle comes on Tuesday the 11th, but up until then it's pretty grim with strong winds and poor conditions. Water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing weird going on there.

The wind is going to be a major factor early on. From Sunday the 9th right through to Wednesday the 12th, we’ve got ENE winds kicking up at 28 to 31 mph. It's offshore, which keeps the surface clean, but it's a strong offshore breeze that makes paddling out a real grunt. The swell period is pretty long, 14 seconds, which means energy (363 combined energy) but it’s that kind of groundswell that can be tricky on a beach break—breaking a bit straight. Keep an eye on the tide.

Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th see that wind ease a bit to a fresh 22-25 mph, but it’s still a factor. The swell ticks up a touch, with a 3ft SW swell and a period of 18 seconds. That's some lovely groundswell energy (627 on Friday morning) and the wave comment says “fresh offshore and clean,” so these mornings are the best windows for the first week. It's still small, mind you, so your longboard or a fish will be the call.

Now, look ahead to the second week. The period from Monday the 17th through Wednesday the 19th is where things get interesting. We’ve got lighter winds dropping to a moderate 16 mph, still offshore and clean. The swell is picking up, hitting 4ft to 6ft from the SW. That’s getting into fun territory, and on Monday the 17th morning the wave comment is “expect good surf conditions.” The combined energy hits 752 on Tuesday the 18th afternoon, which is a moderate amount of grunt. This is the standout part of the forecast; the conditions look cleaner and the swell has some size.

After that, it tapers off again. The last few days of August bring smaller 1ft to 3ft swell with a very long period (21 seconds). That’s a weird one—super long period groundswell. It can create some clean, glassy lines at a reef or point, but it might be too weak to really stand up with any power at a beach like this.

Overall, the first real standout window is Tuesday 11th through to Friday 14th for clean, offshore surf, but don’t expect size. The true highlight is the stretch from Monday 17th to Wednesday 19th when the moderate winds and building SW swell should deliver your best waves of the outlook. It’s not going to be firing big, but it’s clean and fun.

Rusty.

Read more