El Medano Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s on offer for El Medano over the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you – this stretch is a tough one. That first solid block of days is a write-off for decent waves. The wind is a relentless cross-onshore, mainly from the ENE and NE, and it’s blowing a stiff breeze most of the time. The swell is short-period windswell from the NE, barely making 4ft, and the water is choppy and messy. The energy levels are weak to moderate, but the quality is zero. It’s not surfable.

Now, the good part. After that long wait, things start to shift. On Sunday, 16 August, you’ll see the first signs of a change. That NE windswell drops right off to just 2ft, but a new, long-period SSW groundswell starts to trickle in, with a period of 17 seconds. The energy ticks up but the wind is still ruining it. Hang in there.

The standout by a mile is Monday, 17 August. That’s your day. The wind goes glassy on both the morning and afternoon sessions. The SSW groundswell is still there at 3ft, with a period of 16 seconds – that’s proper long-period energy. The combined energy is a solid moderate 547. This is a reef and beach setup, and with that very long period, it’s going to be lined up and powerful, especially on the reef sections. The downside is El Medano is inconsistent and rarely breaks, so you’ll need some luck and patience, but when it comes through it’ll be the best waves of the whole outlook. The water temp is about average for the time of year.

After that glassy Monday, we get a flicker on Tuesday, 18 August with the afternoon session turning glassy again as the SSW swell hangs around at 2ft and a 13-second period. Energy is moderate. It’s worth a look if you miss Monday.

The rest of the week and into the second week is a return to that messy cross-onshore wind and junk from the NE. We get a few more pulses of SSW groundswell, but the wind just won’t cooperate. By the time we hit Thursday, 27 August, the NE windswell starts pushing 6ft with a short period of 6 seconds, and the cross-onshore is back with a vengeance. That’s not paddle surfing – that’s a kiter’s messy playground.

So, to sum it up: the first stretch is dead. Monday the 17th is your real chance for something special with glassy conditions and a clean SSW groundswell. Tuesday afternoon is the backup. After that, it’s a bit of a drought again. Forecasts can always change, but based on what’s in front of us, make that Monday count.

Rusty.

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