El Estero Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. We’re looking at a decent run for El Estero on the horizon. The water’s sitting at a warm 86°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you might not even need the springsuit.

The overall pattern starts pretty small but builds into a promising window. We've got a bit of a wait for the real juice.

Tuesday the 25th kicks it off with a clean, gentle 2 ft SW groundswell at a long 16 seconds. The wind is offshore from the east, keeping it tidy. It’s small and the combined energy is weak (216), but it’s surfable.

Wednesday the 26th is pretty average. Mornings are messy with a cross-offshore wind, and while the afternoon cleans up with an offshore breeze, the wave height is a paltry 2 ft. Not worth rushing out for.

Thursday the 27th has some early morning potential with very long period 18-second swell hitting 2 ft, and the wind is light cross-off. It’s clean, but again, very small.

Friday the 28th sees the swell bump up to 3 ft, but the morning has a strong cross-offshore wind that’s going to chop things up. The afternoon improves with a 2 ft SW swell and a clean offshore breeze from the ENE. The energy is moderate (479). It’s a lookable option for the end of the week.

Now, here comes the standout. Saturday the 29th. The morning session is where it’s at. We’re looking at a solid 5 ft SW swell with a period that’s dropped to 16 seconds, but the combined energy has ramped right up to strong (1123). The wind is a light offshore breeze from the east, making for glassy conditions. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. It’s not beginner territory at this size, but for anyone with a bit of skill, this is the best morning of the whole outlook. Crowds are likely here though, so get in early.

Saturday afternoon goes downhill fast with a cross-onshore wind chopping it up.

Sunday the 30th has a good morning option too – 5 ft swell but the period is down to 14 seconds. Light cross-offshore winds keep it clean for very good conditions. The afternoon, however, turns sour with a cross-onshore breeze and risk of thunderstorms.

From Monday the 31st through Wednesday the 2nd of September, the swell drops back to the 2 ft to 4 ft range. The mornings are mostly clean, but the size is small.

Keep an eye on Thursday the 3rd of September. It’s a glassy, clean morning with a 2 ft SW swell. The wind is dead calm from the southeast, and the period is a nice 16 seconds. It’s small but utterly perfect conditions for that morning glass-off.

Now, the second week brings a serious pulse. Friday the 4th of September is another major standout. The morning is firing with a 5 ft SW groundswell coming in at a long 17 seconds. The combined energy is very strong (1433). The wind is a light cross-offshore from the NNE, making for clean conditions. This is another excellent window for experienced surfers.

Saturday the 5th of September keeps the energy up with a 5 ft SW swell and a clean offshore breeze from the east in the morning. Combine that with very strong energy (1336) and you’ve got another cracker for the more skilled crew.

After that, the swell slowly backs off through the 6th and 7th of September, but conditions remain clean with light winds. The morning of Tuesday the 8th of September is notable for a glassy, clean 2 ft swell with a very long period of 20 seconds. It’s tiny, but the tide and wind will be right for a longboard.

Finally, Wednesday the 9th of September sees the swell jump back up to 4 ft with a long 18-second period and strong energy (1281). An offshore breeze from the ENE makes for excellent conditions for experienced surfers.

Bottom line: The absolute best windows are the mornings of Saturday the 29th of August, and Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th of September. Those are the ones to circle on the calendar. The rest is small but often clean filler.

Rusty.

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