El Estero Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’ve got the lowdown for the local stretch here at El Estero. Let’s get into it.

The water is sittin’ at a warm 86°F—a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, which is nice. The next 16 days look like a slow burn, with a couple of standout windows for clean surf. The waves are mostly small, but when the conditions line up, El Estero can deliver some tidy little lines.

It kicks off on Saturday, August 8, with a solid afternoon session. The river mouth is handling a 3ft SSW groundswell, and with a long period of 15 seconds on top of that, the energy is there. The easterly wind is 9 mph and blowing offshore, so it’s gonna be clean. This is a consistent break, so you can expect a few guys out, but it’s worth it.

Sunday morning, August 9, is a scrub—strong 19 mph cross-offshore wind and poor conditions. Skip it. But Sunday afternoon swings back with a 3ft SW swell, 12 mph offshore wind, and the same 14-second period. Clean again, good energy. I’d call Saturday afternoon your best early bet, with Sunday afternoon as a solid backup.

Monday, August 10, has a light 6 mph offshore in the afternoon, swell dropping to 3ft, but still a clean option for the patient surfer.

Now, the real standout comes in the second week. Look at Friday, August 14, afternoon. The swell is 4ft from the SW, period a juicy 18 seconds, and the combined energy is strong. The wind is a whisper at 3 mph, true offshore from the ESE. That’s glassy, clean, and the swell direction is right in the optimum WNW window. This is excellent for experienced surfers, but the size is manageable for a confident intermediate. The river mouth setup will handle that long-period groundswell well.

Saturday morning, August 15, also has punch, with 5ft of SW swell and 16-second period, combined energy strong. But the wind is a stiff 19 mph cross-offshore, which will make it bumpy. That one’s only for the experts, and the conditions are marginal.

From Tuesday, August 18, through to Friday, August 21, mornings are your friend. Light offshore winds, chest-high waves around 3ft to 4ft, and clean conditions. The energy is moderate, but it’s consistent and fun. Tuesday morning, August 18, has a 4ft SW swell, 14-second period, 6 mph offshore—clean and very good.

The last week of the forecast, from August 22 onward, the swell fades to 2ft, and the wind is a mix of cross-offshore and onshore. It’s not really worth the paddle unless you’re desperate.

So, if you’re picking your days, Saturday afternoon, August 8, and Friday afternoon, August 14, are the standouts. The Friday session is the real gem—long period, glassy, and strong energy. Don’t sleep on it.

Rusty.

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