El Medano Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' for our stretch of coast.

Straight up, it's a tough beat for the next 16 days. We've got a run of over two weeks where the conditions are just not gonna give us anything worth paddling out for. The wind is a constant problem, locking in from the NE and ENE, and it's nearly always cross-onshore, which is going to ruin any chance of a clean face. The swell is mostly short-period, weak windswell, and the energy levels are weak to moderate at best. Honestly, there isn't a single standout session in the whole forecast.

Starting from Monday the 3rd of August right through to the end of the outlook on Tuesday the 18th of August, it's the same story. We see small, messy, short-period swell from the NE, NNE, or ENE, with combined energy readings mostly in the 100s and 200s (moderate wave energy) but with all that wind, it's just lumpy and choppy. The best-looking swell heights hover around 3 ft to 5 ft, but with the period barely cracking 8 seconds, there's no power behind it. The winds are a killer – fresh to strong cross-onshore breezes all the way through.

For the handful of days like Monday the 10th and Wednesday the 12th, the energy drops into the double digits (64 and 94), which is just weak. Even when the combined energy pushes into the 300s on the 15th and 17th of August (still moderate energy), the wind never lets up. You’ll be looking at a lot of bumpy, blown-out surf.

If you are absolutely desperate, El Medano is a beach and reef break that rarely breaks anyway, and it's best with a SSW swell – which we aren't getting. The water temp is around 73°, which is about average for this time of year, not that it matters with the poor quality.

Honestly, this whole stretch looks better suited for a kite than a paddle board. Save your energy and wait for a change in the pattern. It tends not to stay this poor forever, so fingers crossed for the next update.

- Rusty

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