El Conquistador Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up at El Conquistador over the next couple of weeks.

Right now, and for the next several days, we’ve got a real flat spell on our hands. The waves are tiny, mostly around 0.7ft to 1ft, with weak energy readings (under 50). The wind is light and variable, sometimes glassy, but the swell just isn’t there. It’s a proper quiet period, so if you’re itching for a paddle, you’ll be waiting.

Things start to stir around the middle of the month. On Friday the 15th, we see a little pulse of very long-period groundswell from the SSW. The swell height is only 1.0ft, but the period jumps to 18 seconds, pushing the combined energy up to 64. It’s still small, but the glassy, calm conditions in the afternoon make it worth a look for a sneaky session on a log.

The real change comes on Sunday the 16th. The morning is glassy with a 1ft SSW swell, 17-second period, and energy hitting 102. By the afternoon, the swell picks up to 2ft, the period is still a solid 16 seconds, and the energy climbs to 157. The wind is light cross-off, so the surf is clean. It’s not big, but it’s the first real sign of life.

Now, the standout window is Monday the 17th through to Friday the 21st of August. This is where it gets good. Monday morning, the swell is 2ft from the SSW with a 15-second period and energy of 237. The wind is clean cross-off. It’s a proper surfable wave. Tuesday the 18th is even better: the swell holds at 2ft from the SSW, period hangs at 16 seconds, and the energy is up to 259. The morning is clean again, and by the afternoon it goes glassy. This is the best of the run. Wednesday the 19th afternoon sees the energy peak at 444 with a 3ft SSW swell (16-second period) and clean cross-off wind. Thursday and Friday are also solid, with similar wave heights and clean conditions, though the period drops a little to 14 seconds.

Keep in mind, this is a beach and reef setup, and when the swell is over 5ft it can get too much for beginners. Here, we’re mostly under 3ft, so it’s fine for intermediate surfers and above. The long-period groundswell (15-18 seconds) will make for nice, lined-up waves, especially on the reef. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing wild.

The absolute pick of the whole forecast is Tuesday the 18th of August. The morning has 2ft SSW groundswell, 16-second period, clean cross-off wind, and solid energy. The afternoon goes glassy – you can’t ask for much better conditions for a fun, clean wave. The consistency is very consistent, but expect there to be a few others out, as crowds are sometimes an issue.

So, to sum it up: you’ve got a flat first week, then a slow build, and finally a lovely run of clean, long-period SSW swell from the 17th through the 21st. Get out there Tuesday the 18th for the best of it.

Rusty.

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