Surf Forecasts:
El Medano surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period, NE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period, SSW swell with 547 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period with NE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for El Medano this week:
The surf forecast for El Medano over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 03) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 13s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at El Medano in the next 16 days are 1.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (WEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for El Medano over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, and I’ve got the lowdown for the El Medano corner. Let’s be straight with each other—this isn’t a classic run for the books. El Medano is a beach and reef setup that rarely breaks, and this 16-day window is mostly a patience game. The water's sitting at 76°F, about 2°F warmer than average for this time of year, which is nice for a paddle but doesn’t fix the wave situation.
We start off with nothing really worth paddling out for. The first sniff of something comes on the 5th of September, Saturday morning. The swell is a weak 4ft from the NE, with a short period of just 7 seconds, and the combined energy is low at 175. But here’s the bright spot: the wind goes glassy. It’s flat-looking, but that glassy surface could make even a small wave feel like a secret session. Very ordinary conditions, but if you’re desperate, that’s your window. Later Saturday afternoon, the swell drops to 4ft from the NE with an even shorter period of 5 seconds and energy at 141, but again, it’s dead calm with glass. Tiny, weak, but clean.
That’s about it for the whole run. The rest of the 16 days is a long, drawn-out stretch of poor surf conditions—cross-onshore winds, lumpy chop, and barely any swell to speak of. After that 5th of September, you’re looking at a gap of several days with nothing solid. By the time we hit 12th September, the swell has dropped to 0.7ft from the SSW, with a period of 11 seconds, but the wind is onshore again, so it’s not worth the walk. Energy is down to 17 to 86 through the rest of the window. Honestly, for 16 days, this is a bleak run.
El Medano is a spot that rarely breaks anyway, so a blank run like this isn’t unusual. Don’t get your hopes up. If it does change, forecasts can shift, but for now, keep the board in the car.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Tue afternoon, min 24°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NE on Tue afternoon, calm by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Sat morning, min 25°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | NNE 8 | SSW 13 | NE 8 | NE 8 | S 12 | NNE 7 | SSW 12 | NE 7 | NE 5 | NNE 6 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 307 | 433 | 547 | 540 | 513 | 376 | 366 | 289 | 374 | 135 | 140 | 133 | 72 | 86 | 46 | 119 | 90 | 145 | 27 | 64 | 68 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 4:00PM2.01m | 4:21AM1.86m | 4:37PM1.90m | 5:00AM1.77m | 5:20PM1.75m | 5:47AM1.66m | 6:15PM1.57m | 6:49AM1.53m | 7:34PM1.42m | 8:20AM1.47m | 9:22PM1.38m | 10:01AM1.53m | 10:55PM1.48m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:10PM0.11m | 10:22AM0.20m | 10:47PM0.22m | 11:04AM0.30m | 11:29PM0.35m | 11:55AM0.43m | 00:23AM0.51m | 1:07PM0.56m | 1:44AM0.64m | 2:55PM0.60m | 3:34AM0.65m | 4:38PM0.50m | |||||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — |
 | — | 8:28 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:22 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 28 |
Feels °C | 25 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | S 12 | S 12 | NE 7 | NE 4 | ENE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 | SSW 11 | WNW 4 |
| kJ | 307 | 433 | 547 | 540 | 513 | 376 | 366 | 289 | 173 | 78 | 58 | 45 | 72 | 72 | 22 | 9 | 28 | 47 | 11 | 11 | 2 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 8 | SW 8 | NE 7 | — | NW 8 | NW 11 | NW 10 | NW 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 12 | NE 7 | NE 7 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | NW 8 | S 10 |
| kJ | 2 | 2 | 21 | — | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 184 | 135 | 133 | 76 | 19 | 18 | 46 | 40 | 23 | 23 | 11 | 3 | 8 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 5 | SSW 13 | NW 8 | NW 5 | NW 9 | WNW 10 | NW 4 | NE 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 9 | NW 4 | NW 8 |
| kJ | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 135 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NNE 8 | — | NE 8 | NE 8 | — | NNE 7 | NE 5 | NE 7 | NE 5 | NNE 6 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 |
| kJ | 30 | 49 | 22 | 84 | 70 | 123 | 193 | 216 | 374 | — | 140 | 133 | — | 86 | 25 | 119 | 90 | 145 | 27 | 64 | 68 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 11 | 19 | 11 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 316 | 113 | 113 | 113 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Tenerife | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Spain (Africa) | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the El Medano Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for El Medano provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at El Medano can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our El Medano 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 Medano) 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 Medano 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.
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