El Corniche Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what we've got coming down the line. I'll be straight with you – it’s a pretty quiet stretch ahead. There’s no standout swell generator on the horizon, so we’re looking at small, weak, and mostly onshore conditions for the bulk of the 16-day run. We’ve got one spot on the map here, so let’s talk about it.

Alright, so first up we’ve got El Corniche. This one's a real local's reef, but the truth is, it *rarely breaks* and when it does, it needs a specific N swell to get going. For the first week, things are looking grim. From Tuesday the 11th all the way through to Sunday the 16th of August, we’re seeing nothing but tiny junks of swell, mostly from the NNW and NW, with periods under 8 seconds, pushing into a cross-onshore or onshore wind. The wave energy is weak, barely hitting 100 in the combined swell department. The water is a very warm 84°F and running about 4°F warmer than usual for this time of year, so at least you’ll be comfortable while you sit there bobbing around. Everything in this period is marked as “poor surf conditions.” There’s just nothing to get excited about.

We do get a tiny, *tiny* glimmer of hope on Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th of August. The morning of the 17th shows a 3ft swell with a combined energy of 120, and Tuesday the 18th morning has a similar 3ft swell with 113 energy. These are marked as “marginal” which means it might just be rideable on a log if you’re desperate. It's a 7-second period, really weak stuff, and the wind is onshore. Not exactly lighting the world on fire.

Then from the 19th of August onward, it completely flatlines until the very last day. The models show a tiny pulse on Saturday the 22nd of August with a 3ft swell and energy at 80, but the wind is cross-onshore again. The next morning, Sunday the 23rd, we see the biggest combined energy of the entire run at 183 with a 4ft swell from the NNW, but again, it’s a short 7-second period and the wind is a messy cross-onshore. The whole setup here is a classic case of a beach-and-reef break that sees more potential for kite surfing than paddle surfing under these conditions.

In short mates, this is a long, dry spell. The first real possibility of a wave that isn’t complete junk doesn’t even pop up until Monday the 17th, and even then it’s marginal. We’re looking at about a 5-day blank stretch with zero recommendations from the 11th to the 16th, and then a whole lot of nothing after that. This sort of quiet run is pretty normal for the area when the swell windows don’t align. Don’t hold your breath. Keep the wax in the car and wait for the charts to look a bit juicier.

Rusty.

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