El Estero Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Alright, the first thing you’re gonna notice is that the early part of the week is a bit of a letdown. There’s some small waves, but the wind is just messing things up. The first real window of opportunity arrives on Saturday the 18th, and then it’s a slow build towards something special.

We’re looking at El Estero. This spot is a river mouth, so it can handle a bit of swell direction. Right now, we’ve got a weak start. Friday morning the 17th is tiny at 1ft from the SW with a long 15-second period, but with a cross-off breeze from the ENE at 19 mph, it’s just not doing it. The combined energy is only 142, so it’s weak. Don’t bother.

Saturday the 18th is where it starts to get interesting. The morning is still a bit messy with that cross-off wind, but the swell is up to 3ft and the period is 12 seconds. The real highlight is Saturday afternoon. The wind drops to glassy conditions from the east at only 3 mph. That’s a major positive. The swell holds at 3ft from the SSW and the energy jumps to 306. It’s small, but glassy and clean. A good little session for a log or a fish.

Sunday the 19th has a brief morning lull, but the afternoon is a solid call. The swell bumps up to 3ft from the SSW, with a 12-second period and a moderate energy of 442. The wind is a gentle cross-off from the ENE at 9 mph, keeping it clean. That’s a fun, surfable afternoon.

The middle of the week from Monday the 20th through to Thursday the 23rd is a bit of a grind. The swell hangs around 2ft to 3ft, but the wind is consistently cross-off or onshore, and the energy dips. The only standout is Wednesday afternoon the 22nd when the wind goes offshore from the ENE at 12 mph. The swell is 2ft and the energy is 147, so it’s small, but it’s clean. Just ordinary waves.

Now, let’s talk about the real standouts. Friday the 24th morning is the first big one. The swell jumps to 3ft, but the period is a massive 24 seconds. That’s a very long period groundswell. The combined energy is 747, which is moderate to strong. The wind is a gentle cross-off from the ENE at 9 mph, so it’s clean. That long period will make the waves at El Estero really shape up, but remember, long period swells can sometimes break a bit too straight at a river mouth, so keep your eyes open. Still, this is a serious session.

Saturday the 25th is another cracker. The morning has offshore wind from the east at 3 mph, perfect conditions. The swell is 3ft from the SW with a 21-second period, and the energy is a very strong 805. That’s a big, clean, powerful swell. The afternoon is also good with a 20-second period and 711 energy, but the wind goes cross-off from the south. The morning is the pick.

Sunday the 26th morning is for the experienced crew only. The swell is 4ft from the SW with a 19-second period, and the energy is a huge 1082. That’s a strong, powerful swell, and it’s over the 5ft mark, so it’s not for beginners. The wind is glassy from the southeast at 3 mph. It’s clean, but it’s serious. This is a big, powerful groundswell that will be packing a punch.

Monday the 27th morning is the absolute standout of the whole forecast. The swell is 5ft from the SW, period is 19 seconds, and the energy is a massive 1442. That’s very strong. The wind is offshore from the east at 6 mph. It’s clean, powerful, and about as good as it gets. This is a big, heavy swell for experienced surfers, and it’s going to be one of those days you remember. The afternoon gets a bit cross-onshore, so the morning is the window.

The rest of the week into August holds some good waves. Tuesday the 28th morning has 5ft swell from the SW with a 17-second period and a massive 1941 energy. That’s a huge, powerful swell, but it’s a bit raw with a cross-off wind. Wednesday the 29th morning is glassy with 4ft, but the energy is still high at 1028. Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st are smaller but clean, and the first of August finishes it off with a gentle offshore wind and 3ft.

So, the two true standouts are Friday the 24th morning for that incredible long-period groundswell and clean conditions, and Monday the 27th morning for the big, powerful, offshore session. Mark your calendars.

Rusty.

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