
Surf Forecasts:
El Gringo surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 9 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 15s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 11 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 15s period, SSW swell with 2,613 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 8 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 9s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for El Gringo this week:
The surf forecast for El Gringo over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at El Gringo in the next 16 days are 2.4m 15s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 11) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (-04) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Sun 9th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Tue 11th Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for El Gringo over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. The forecast is looking at a solid run of swell for El Gringo, but it’s not all going to be perfect. There’s a bit of a wait for the best conditions, but when it lines up, it’s going to be good.
The first few days are a bit of a tease. Saturday the 8th has some swell, around 5ft, but the conditions are questionable and the energy is moderate at best (769). It’s not worth getting too excited about just yet. The water is sitting at 65°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a small bonus.
Sunday the 9th is where things start to get interesting. The swell drops a touch to 4ft in the morning but the period jumps to 15 seconds, and it’s glassy. That’s clean, lined-up surf. The energy is picking up too (914). The afternoon is even better, with the swell pushing back up to 5ft from the SSW, still glassy, and the energy jumps to 1194. That’s the first real standout of the run.
Monday the 10th is the big one. The swell builds to 8ft with a 13-second period, and it’s still glassy in the morning. The energy is strong, coming in at 2342. This is proper, powerful surf. It’s right on the edge of being too big for anyone but experienced surfers, so if you’re not confident, give it a miss. The afternoon gets a bit messier with an onshore breeze, so the morning is the window.
Tuesday the 11th has some decent size, 7ft in the morning, but the wind is on it, making it less appealing. The afternoon cleans up nicely though, with the wind going glassy and the swell dropping to a still-chunky 6ft. That’s a good session.
Wednesday the 12th is a bit of a letdown. The wind is onshore and the swell is dropping, with the energy fading to 830. It’s not looking great.
Thursday the 13th has a long-period swell, 19 seconds, but it’s small, only 3ft in the morning. The energy is moderate (736). It’s a sign of things to come, but not quite there yet. The afternoon builds to 4ft with an 18-second period and the energy jumps to 1211. It’s still a bit on the small side.
Friday the 14th is another good one. The morning is glassy with 4ft of SW swell at 16 seconds. It’ll be clean and lined up. Not huge, but quality.
Saturday the 15th has a small, glassy morning with 4ft swell. It’s a fun, clean option, but not a standout.
Then there’s a bit of a lull. Sunday the 16th brings the swell back up, but the wind is onshore, making it messy. Monday the 17th is the next real standout. The morning is glassy with 7ft of swell at 14 seconds. The energy is strong (1628). This is another day for the experienced crew.
The rest of the second week is a mixed bag. Tuesday the 18th has size (7ft) but cross-onshore winds. Wednesday the 19th is smaller and the energy is fading. The last few days, from the 20th to the 23rd, have waves in the 4ft to 5ft range, but the winds are mostly cross-onshore or onshore, and the energy is weak. It’s not looking like much of a surf.
So, the best bets are the glassy mornings on Sunday the 9th, Monday the 10th, and Monday the 17th. If you can only get out once, make it Monday the 10th for the biggest, most powerful swell, or Sunday the 9th for the cleanest, most classic conditions. The long-period swells we see in the middle of the period should hold up well at this reef break. It’s a fairly consistent spot, so when it’s good, it’s good.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Wed morning, min 17°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 9 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
689 | 658 | 244 | 516 | 829 | 1402 | 1905 | 1643 | 2613 | 1724 | 1134 | 787 | 830 | 774 | 646 | 427 | 686 | 547 | 803 | 597 | 472 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy |
High Tide | 4:49PM0.65m | 5:53AM1.19m | 6:10PM0.66m | 6:54AM1.27m | 7:16PM0.70m | 7:48AM1.34m | 8:12PM0.76m | 8:38AM1.37m | 9:03PM0.83m | 9:25AM1.37m | 9:50PM0.88m | 10:09AM1.32m | 10:37PM0.93m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:45AM0.38m | 10:35PM0.24m | 12:57PM0.30m | 11:44PM0.21m | 1:53PM0.23m | 00:49AM0.16m | 2:42PM0.16m | 1:47AM0.12m | 3:25PM0.12m | 2:42AM0.10m | 4:06PM0.09m | 3:34AM0.11m | 4:45PM0.09m | 4:24AM0.14m | |||||||
7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | |
— | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 21 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 17 |
Feels °C | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 8 | SSW 11 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
689 | 658 | 244 | 292 | 829 | 1402 | 1905 | 1643 | 2613 | 1724 | 1134 | 787 | 830 | 774 | 646 | 123 | 397 | 547 | 803 | 597 | 472 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | SW 18 | SW 16 | — | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | — | SW 16 | SW 20 | SSW 11 | SW 18 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 |
80 | 77 | 169 | 516 | 305 | 232 | 437 | 776 | — | 229 | 261 | 304 | — | 38 | 186 | 186 | 686 | 183 | 145 | 119 | 86 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 21 | — | SW 19 | SSW 11 | — | — | — | — |
— | 76 | 208 | 106 | 60 | 284 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 68 | — | 427 | 128 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 52 | 143 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 147 | 0 | 52 | 112 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Atacama | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Chile | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the El Gringo Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for El Gringo provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at El Gringo can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our El Gringo surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (El Gringo) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for El Gringo may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
El Gringo is 5 km (3 miles) from the city of Arica. If you plan a holiday in Atacama, look for hotels and other accommodation in Arica. Arica has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











