El Medano Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let's talk about what's on offer for El Medano.

To be straight with you, the outlook for the next fortnight and a bit is a bit of a bummer. It’s not looking like a good time for a paddle. The issue is a persistent cross-onshore wind that just won't let up, chopping up most of the swell that comes in. The water temp here is feeling pretty average for this time of year.

The first real chance to wet a line doesn't come until Sunday, the 23rd of August, in the afternoon. Even then, it's a baby swell of 2ft from the SSW with a moderate 12-second period. Combined energy is weak at (90). On the plus side, it goes glassy, which means clean, small waves. It's about as small as it gets, but if you're a beginner on a foamie, this is your window. This break, El Medano (Spain), is a beach and reef setup that rarely breaks, so the fact it's even on the radar is something.

From there, it’s a long, grim stretch. The wind kicks back in, and we get day after day of choppy, messy conditions. Even when the swell bumps up a bit around the 27th of August, hitting 5ft, it's coming from the NE with a terrible 6-second period, and the wind is a strong cross-onshore. That's just messy with a capital M. Combined energy jumps a bit, but it's all ugly. For a beach and reef spot, with that much wind and chop, you’d honestly be better off with a kite than a surfboard. This messy, onshore pattern looks set to stretch all the way through to the end of the month.

There is a bit of a tease around the 31st of August. The swell drops down to 3ft, but the period stretches right out to a very long 18 seconds from the SSW. The combined energy is strong (830). The problem? The wind is still a moderate cross-onshore, so those long lines will get all chopped up. A long-period SSW groundswell at El Medano could be special if the wind was off, but it’s not. It’ll just be a frustrating wait for clean ones between the lumps. That pattern, with big energy but poor conditions, will continue into the first days of September. A clean window just never opens up. On the 4th of September we see another pulse from the NE at 5ft, but again, it's a short period (7 seconds), and the wind is cross-onshore.

Honestly, if you can wait, keep an eye on things. The energy from the southwest is there in the background, and it looks like a proper groundswell. If that wind ever drops and turns offshore to the WNW, this place would fire. But based on what I’m seeing right now, there’s no good surf on the cards for the next couple of weeks. This is a pretty normal run for an area like this when the winds are stubborn.

Rusty.

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