El Corniche Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here, and I’ve got to be straight with you: this 16-day run for El Corniche is a bit of a tough one to sell. The overall pattern is dominated by weak, short-period windswell and a lot of onshore or cross-onshore breeze, which is a recipe for messy, poor surf. We’re looking at a long stretch of time where it’s just not going to be worth paddling out.

The water temperature is reading 82°, which is a massive 4° warmer than usual for this time of year. It’s like sitting in a warm bath, but unfortunately, the waves aren’t matching the vibe.

The first solid recommendation doesn’t pop up until Friday, July 24th, and even then, it’s marginal. After that, there’s a gap of several days until we get another glimmer on Sunday, July 26th.

Let’s break it down. For the most part, from now through the end of the month, we’re dealing with tiny swell, mostly under 3ft, coming from the NW, with a short period of 5 to 7 seconds. The wind is almost always onshore or cross-onshore, from the NW, W, or NNW, blowing at 6 to 12 mph. This leads to choppy, bumpy conditions. The combined energy is weak, mostly well under 100 (like 77, 63, 89), just confirming the lack of grunt. There’s no real standout in this first week, just a series of mornings with a slight chance of something rideable but with a terrible tide or wind messing it up.

The one date that deserves a mention is Friday, July 24th. The morning session sees a slight bump up to 5ft from the NW, with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy finally gets into the moderate range at 211. However, the wind is a cross-onshore breeze from the WNW at 9 mph, making it “fairly choppy.” It’s a marginal call at best, and the score is a 1. After that, the afternoon drops back to 4ft from the NNW, but the wind is onshore, and the energy is 231. It’s still not clean.

Sunday, July 26th, shows a morning session with 4ft from the WNW, period of 7 seconds, and combined energy of 123. The wind is a light cross-onshore from the N at 6 mph, which is better, but still not clean. This is the best wave height we see, but it’s let down by the wind direction once again.

For the rest of the run, into early August, the pattern stays the same: small, weak, short-period swell, mostly onshore winds. The heights bob around 2ft to 4ft, but the wind is always a problem. The combined energy stays in the weak to moderate range (typically under 150). There’s nothing here that’s a true standout. El Corniche is described as “rarely breaks,” and this forecast confirms it. For a break that’s exposed to the N for optimum swell, the NW/WNW swell we’re getting isn’t hitting it right, and the wind is ruining what little there is.

If you’re a kite surfer, the setup might look more interesting than for paddle surfing, but for a surfer, it’s a long wait for little reward. The forecasts can change, but right now, this is a tough window.

Rusty.

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