El Corniche Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Well, grab a coffee, ‘cause I’ve got to be straight with you—this ain’t looking great. El Corniche is barely gonna see a wave worth paddling for across the whole 16-day window. The swell’s tiny, the wind’s usually on it or cross-on, and the combined swell energy barely gets out of the weak zone for most of the run. Water temp is sitting at 84°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year—about 4°F above the usual—so the ocean’s got that bathwater feel. But that’s about the only positive.

We kick off Thursday the 13th with practically nothing—3 ft of short-period NNW windswell at 6 seconds, cross-on wind from the WNW at 9 mph, and that combined energy is just 50. It’s all “poor surf conditions” and the forecast score is a big fat zero. That theme runs right through the weekend. By Saturday the 15th, swell bumps up a touch to 4 ft, still short period (7–8 seconds), but the wind stays onshore or cross-onshore from the NW and WNW, making things choppy and messy. That combined energy hits 210 on Saturday afternoon, so it’s at least moderate, but the quality is still rated “poor.” There’s no standout here, not even a glimmer.

Sunday the 16th is the closest we get to a “maybe”—the morning shows 5 ft from the NNW at 8 seconds, cross-on wind from the NNW at 9 mph, and combined energy at 242. The forecast nudges up to a 1 out of 10, with the comment calling it “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions.” That’s the best of the bunch. Monday the 17th morning drops to 4 ft, same cross-on issue, and it’s back to “poor.” After that, the swell just fades. From Tuesday the 18th onward, you’re looking at 3 ft and below, with periods of 5–7 seconds, and combined energy dribbling down to the low teens by Thursday the 20th. Winds stay onshore or cross-onshore, and there’s no real window of glassy, clean surf.

There’s a brief moment around Wednesday the 26th morning—2 ft from the NW at 6 seconds, glassy conditions with a slight air from the NNE—but the swell is tiny and the energy is only 17. Hard to get excited. The tail end, Friday the 28th, shows a bit of a nudge back to 3 ft from the WNW, period 6 seconds, with morning winds light from the West at 3 mph and marginal comments again (score 1/10). But it’s still not a session you’d drive for.

So here’s the truth: El Corniche breaks rarely, and this 16-day stretch lives up to that. There’s not a single day I’d call “good.” The only day that sort-of works is Sunday the 16th morning if you’re desperate and can deal with cross-onshore wind and a short-period NNW swell. The water’s unseasonably warm, the swell is small, the wind is mostly a problem, and the crowds might show up when it’s that marginal just because locals are keen—but it’s a miss. Save your energy.

Rusty.

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