El Comedor Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a good hard look at what’s on the menu for the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – this is a tough one. We’re looking at a long stretch of “poor surf conditions” from start to finish, so don’t go getting your hopes up for any epic sessions.

The forecast kicks off on Monday, July 13th, with a bit of swell at El Comedor. It’s a reef break, so it’s got that going for it, but it’s an expert-only wave. The swell is coming in at 3 ft from the NNW with a period of 9 seconds, which is a short-period windswell. The combined energy is moderate (167), but the wind is a cross-onshore breeze, making it choppy and messy. The water temp is about average for the time of year. Honestly, not a great start.

Things don’t really improve. The swell stays small and the wind stays mostly cross-onshore right through to Thursday, July 16th. The swell height bumps up to 5 ft by Thursday afternoon, but that’s still accompanied by a 12 mph cross-onshore wind and a short 6-second period. The combined energy gets up to a moderate 203, but it’s all noise and no shape.

Now, from Friday, July 17th, through to Sunday, July 26th, the wind actually turns onshore. This is a real kick in the teeth. The swell gets bigger, hitting 6 ft to 7 ft from the NNE, with a period of 7-8 seconds, and the combined energy pushes into the 300s and 400s (strong wave energy). For a spot like El Comedor, that’s a lot of power, but with onshore winds at 12-16 mph, it’s going to be a blown-out, ugly mess. This is big enough (over 5 ft) that it’s too much for beginners, and at over 8 ft, it’s expert territory. But with the wind, it’s honestly more interesting for kite surfing than a paddle session.

We limp into the final week, from July 21st to July 28th, with the swell slowly dropping back to 4 ft - 5 ft. The wind calms a little, sometimes going back to cross-onshore, but the wave comment is still “poor surf conditions.” The combined energy stays moderate for the most part. The best of a bad lot might be the very last session on Tuesday, July 28th morning, with a 5 ft swell from the NNE and a gentle 9 mph cross-onshore breeze. It’s still messy, but it’s the cleanest it’ll be all forecast.

The bottom line: there’s no standout day here. The swell direction (NNE) matches the optimum swell direction for the break (NNW) reasonably well, but the wind is just never on our side. The reef will hold the swell, but the surface conditions will be terrible. It’s a frustrating outlook, but that’s how it goes sometimes. The crowd factor is “often” busy here, but with this forecast, I’d be surprised if many people show up.

Stay patient, and check back in a few days – forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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