El Corniche Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get real about this stretch. El Corniche is the only game in town for the next 16 days, and to be honest, it’s a tough stretch. The water’s sitting at a very unusual 84°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a thick suit.

The overall pattern is grim. We kick off with nothing rideable. The first record we have comes from Sunday the 26th of July, and it’s a no-go. Swell around 5ft out of the NW, but with a short 8-second period and a moderate onshore breeze, it’s just a messy, blown-out mess. Combined wave energy is only moderate (250), but the conditions kill it. That trend sticks around for days.

We go from Sunday the 26th all the way through to the end of the month with scores of zero. Monday the 27th has a bit more energy (197) but the wind is cross-shore and choppy. Tuesday the 28th drops right off. Wednesday the 29th morning is the first time we see a glimmer, marked as marginal with a score of just 1 out of 10. The swell is tiny at 3ft from the NW with a 6-second period, and light onshore wind. Not worth paddling out for.

Then we hit the first week of August. From Saturday the 1st through Friday the 7th, it’s more of the same: small, weak, and chopped up. Swell heights bounce between 1ft and 5ft, but the winds are almost always onshore or cross-onshore, and the periods are short. Thursday the 6th afternoon sees the biggest swell of the period at 5ft out of the NW, but with a 7-second period and moderate cross-onshore wind, it’s just a messy closeout at a beach break like El Corniche. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The only true standout – and I mean the *only* one – comes on Monday the 10th of August. That morning, the wind goes totally glassy. Calm. Zero mph. For a spot that rarely breaks and is inconsistent, getting glassy conditions is a gift. The swell is tiny, only 2ft out of the NNW with a 7-second period, but the wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” and with that glass, it’ll be clean as a whistle. Combined energy is weak (82), so don’t expect power, but if you want a longboard or a foiler and just want to glide, that’s your window. The crowd profile says “sometimes,” so you might have company.

In short: the first two weeks are a write-off. The 10th of August morning is the only real highlight, and it’s a small, clean one. Beyond that, the 16-day run fizzles out with nothing else worth mentioning. The forecasts can change, but right now, this is a quiet stretch for El Corniche.

Rusty

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