El Comedor Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s cut straight to it. The next couple of weeks are shaping up to be a proper test of patience, with the surf quality locked in a frustrating holding pattern. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor conditions before things maybe start to turn around late in the window. There’s a whole lot of wind and not a lot of clean wave faces on the immediate horizon.

The first realistic window we get is on Monday the 14th. The morning’s looking the pick of the two sessions with a clean, glassy surface and a little 4.3ft swell sneaking in from the NNE. It’s not big, but it’s something to get wet for. The energy’s still in the moderate range (288), so don’t expect bombs. The afternoon drops right off to 2ft, and while it’s still glassy, it’s pretty marginal. That morning session is the standout in the near term – clean, small, and workable for anyone on a log or a fish.

After that, we’re back to the grind. A fresh northerly wind kicks up on the 15th and just ruins what little swell is left. For the next week, every day is a write-off – the wind is on it, the waves are grovelly, and the energy is all over the place. Tuesday the 16th has a bit of a pulse in the morning, but the onshore wind kills it. The 17th sees more wind and a short, weak swell. It’s frustrating, no other word for it.

The first glimmer of something bigger shows up on Friday the 18th. The swell jumps to 5.6ft with the energy cranking into strong territory at (668). The period is up at 10 seconds, so there’s a bit of push behind it. But here’s the catch – the wind is still moderate and onshore. The size is there, but the surface is going to be a mess. It’ll be heavy and probably closing out, more of a challenge than a treat. If you’re an expert, it might be worth a paddle out, but this isn’t the day to introduce anyone to the sport.

We then slide back into small, weak surf again from the 19th through to the 24th. The swell direction stays northerly, but the size and period just fade out. It’s not worth getting excited about. The second week remains pretty grim overall. There’s a notable jump in period to 18 seconds on the 25th, but the swell is tiny (1.3ft) and the wind is cross-onshore, so you get all the drawbacks of a long-period groundswell with none of the size to back it up.

The last real chance in the window arrives on Saturday the 26th. We’ve got 4.3ft of NNW groundswell at a solid 13-second period, with the energy pushing well into the strong range at (661). The wind is still not favourable – moderate and onshore – but there’s genuine size and power in the water. The potential is there for El Comedor (Galapagos) to turn on, but only if that wind backs off. It’s a reef break that loves a long-period swell, but the onshore breeze is the enemy here. This one is for the experts, mostly. For everyone else, this run is a letdown, though it’s the kind of stretch that can change on a dime. Forecasts are shakier the further out you look, so keep an eye on it.

Bottom line: if you need to surf, make it Monday the 14th, and keep your fingers crossed for the 26th. Everything else, you might as well check the tide charts and go for a walk. This has been your local surf report.

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