El Corniche Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks at El Corniche are looking pretty grim. The finder is giving us a solid run of zero-rated days right through to the end of September, with the first real glimmer of hope not showing up until the 23rd. That’s a long, flat gap of over a week and a half with nothing worth paddling out for.

The early part of the outlook is a total write-off. From Thursday the 10th right through to the morning of Tuesday the 22nd, we’re stuck with tiny, weak windswell – mostly 2 ft to 3 ft, with periods barely hitting 6 seconds. The combined energy is pathetic, sitting in the low teens to nineties (14 to 94), and the wind is almost always cross-onshore or onshore, chopping things up. The water’s warm, at 84°F with a 5°F anomaly – that’s much warmer than normal for this time of year, but it’s not gonna help the waves. It’s just a long, frustrating stretch of poor surf conditions.

Now, the first real standout comes on Wednesday the 23rd of September. The morning session is the one to circle. We’ll see a 5 ft swell from the NNW, with a 7-second period. The combined energy finally gets into the moderate range at 198. The wind will be light offshore from the SE, keeping things clean. The waves will be surfable, but it’s still just ordinary. The afternoon turns ugly again with onshore wind and the swell jumping to 6 ft, but the energy climbs to 353 – that’s a lot more power, but the onshore wind will ruin it.

Thursday the 24th morning is another one to watch, but only for experts. The swell is 7 ft from the NNW with an 8-second period, and the combined energy is a strong 659. That’s a lot of water moving. But the wind is onshore from the NW at 12 mph, so it’ll be a messy, powerful beast. Only for the experienced crew. The afternoon drops to 6 ft with 444 energy, but still onshore – still a no-go for clean waves.

Friday the 25th morning has a 6 ft swell from the NW, 7-second period, and 301 energy. The wind is light onshore from the NW, so it’s marginal at best. The afternoon sees it drop to 5 ft with 183 energy and a risk of thunderstorms, with onshore wind picking up to 12 mph. Forget it.

Overall, the only real window of opportunity is that Wednesday the 23rd morning. It’s not classic, but it’s the best we’ve got. The rest of the 16-day run is a bust. El Corniche rarely breaks as it is, so this blank run, while painful, is not totally out of character for the area. Forecasts can change, but for now, keep your board in the car for that Wednesday morning.

Rusty.

Read more