El Medano Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you. We're looking at El Medano, and honestly, it's a tough stretch. The forecast is pretty grim for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, the water temperature is sitting at 72°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so that's one thing we don't have to worry about.

The main issue is that El Medano is a beach and reef break that rarely breaks, and the conditions we're getting just aren't cooperating. The swell direction is mostly from the SSW, which is not the optimum direction for this spot. Starting on Monday, July 6th, we've got a tiny 4ft swell from the NE with a pitiful period of 5 seconds and a cross-on wind. The energy is weak (112), and it's all just messy. We're looking at a long, dry spell here. From Monday right through to Saturday, July 11th, the surf stays poor. The swell is tiny, the wind is mostly cross-on, and it's choppy. There's a short window on Wednesday afternoon, July 8th, where the wind goes glassy, but with only 1ft of swell, it's barely a ripple. The wave energy is moderate (107) but the size just isn't there.

Then, into the second week, things don't really improve. The pattern stays the same: small, weak swell and onshore or cross-onshore winds. The only real change comes on Monday, July 20th, where we see a 5ft swell from the NE, but again, it's a short period of 5 seconds and the wind is a moderate cross-onshore. The energy is moderate (294), but the quality is still poor. This setup is so wind-affected and weak that honestly, it looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The bottom line, and I hate to say it, is there are no standouts here. The best you can hope for is a quick, glassy session on Wednesday afternoon, July 8th, but don't expect much. For the rest of the 16 days, it's a write-off. This is one of those times where you just have to be patient and wait for the charts to change.

Rusty.

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