El Corniche Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a coffee and listen up. Rusty here.

We’re looking at El Corniche, and to be straight with you, the next week and a half is a bit of a write-off. The swell is tiny, the wind is mostly on it, and it’s just not doing anything. There are a few flickers of life right at the very end of the forecast, but you’ve got to be patient.

From now through to the end of August, and well into the first week of September, it’s flat or close to it. Small, weak swells – we’re talking 1 ft to 4 ft with a short period of 6 to 7 seconds – and the wind is mostly blowing from the NW, which is onshore. The combined energy is weak, sitting under 100 (23 to 114) for most of that time, which tells you there’s just no grunt. Forget it.

There’s a small window on Friday the 28th of August morning that’s *almost* worth a look. We get a slight bump to 4 ft from the NW, period 7 seconds, and the combined energy climbs to 165 (moderate). The wind is a light cross-onshore from the W at 6 mph. It’s marginal – the file calls it “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions” – but it’s the first sign of life. The water’s sitting at a very warm 84°F, which is 4°F above normal, so that’s unusual for this time of year. A warm bath, but don’t expect a wave.

Now, the real standout, and I mean the *only* standout in this whole 16-day run, is Saturday the 29th of August morning. This is your one. We get a clean 6 ft groundswell from the NW with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 433 (strong). But the real magic is the wind: it’s glassy – dead calm, 3 mph from the NW. That’s a major positive, it’ll be clean as a whistle. The swell direction is NW, which is not the optimum N direction, but with that glassy surface and moderate size, it’s the best we’ve got. Keep in mind this break rarely breaks, so conditions have to align perfectly. This morning looks like it might just do it. For the experienced surfer, it could be a gem. The afternoon falls apart though, with the wind swinging onshore and the swell dropping.

After that, it’s back to small, poor surf through the first week of September. We see another pulse on Sunday the 6th of September morning, with a 7 ft NW swell and a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy hits 608 (strong). That’s a big number, but the wind is on it at 12 mph from the NW. 7 ft is getting into expert-only territory, and with onshore wind, it’s going to be a messy, choppy mess. Not recommended for paddling – this setup might be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

So, the call: your best chance is Saturday the 29th of August morning. Get down there early for the glassy conditions and that 6 ft NW groundswell. Otherwise, you’re waiting a long time for anything else.

Rusty.

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