El Gringo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for El Gringo. Let’s call it as I see it.

First things first, this spot is a proper reef break, exposed to the southwest swell, and it’s no place for the faint-hearted. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing freaky going on there.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start. Thursday morning the 9th is a write-off – the swell is there at 4ft from the SSW, but it’s a weak, messy energy and the wind is on it. Not worth paddling out. But stick around, because Thursday afternoon, the magic starts to line up. The wind drops to glass, the swell pushes up to 5ft from the SSW, and the combined energy jumps to a solid 1163. That’s proper, grunty groundswell with a 16-second period. This is the kind of window that gets the heart pumping. For an advanced surfer, this is the best on offer in the early part of the forecast.

Friday morning the 10th keeps that quality going – glassy again, 5ft from the SW, 14-second period, energy at 1015. It’s consistent and clean. Friday afternoon gets a bit of a bump in the wind, so the morning is the clear winner here.

Saturday and Sunday (11th and 12th) have more of the same – clean glassy windows in the mornings, with 5ft and 5ft SSW swell, plenty of energy in the 1100s. The afternoons get a little onshore, so plan your sessions early.

Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th are a real letdown. The wind gets messy, the swell drops right off – Tuesday morning is only 3ft with weak energy. That’s a couple of days you’d be better off doing something else.

Then we get a little flicker of hope on Wednesday the 15th morning. Glassy wind, 3ft SW swell with a 16-second period, energy of 924. It’s small, but that long period on a reef like this can still produce some beautiful, lined-up waves. It’s a low-tide special for the connoisseur.

From Thursday the 16th through to the 18th, we’re in a holding pattern of clean little windows and weaker afternoons. The standout in this stretch is Thursday afternoon the 16th – glassy, 5ft SW swell, 13-second period, energy 812. It’s good, not great, but clean.

Now, mark your calendar for Sunday the 19th of July. That afternoon, the swell jumps to 6ft from the WSW, with a 13-second period and a massive energy reading of 1536. The wind is glassy. This is a big, powerful swell on a reef. This is for experts only – over 5ft and pushing into the 6ft range, so beginners stay well clear. The swell direction is WSW, which is bang on the optimum for this break. This is the true standout of the entire 16-day window, a real bomb waiting to go off.

Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st keep that 6ft and 5ft energy going, but the wind is onshore and messy. Tuesday afternoon the 21st, however, the wind goes completely calm – 0 mph and glassy. That’s a rare, dead-calm window with 5ft of solid groundswell. Another one for the experienced crew.

The final days from the 22nd to the 24th settle back into a small, clean pattern. The 23rd has a full day of glassy, 4ft SSW swell, which is a nice, easy, clean finisher for the run.

Crowds at El Gringo can be an issue sometimes, so on those standout glassy days, expect a few other locals who know what’s up.

So, the short version: The best on offer is Sunday afternoon the 19th of July for the big, glassy, powerful stuff. The second best is that Thursday afternoon the 9th and Friday morning the 10th for the first taste of clean groundswell. The rest is a mix of small, clean windows and messy afternoons. Stay sharp.

Rusty.

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