El Medano Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab a seat, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks. Honestly, it’s a tough stretch for El Medano. We’re looking at a real dry spell, with barely anything worth paddling out for, and the wind just won’t play ball.

The first week is a write-off. From Monday 7th September right through to the morning of Saturday 12th, it’s a constant battle with a fresh cross-onshore breeze, mostly from the NE and ENE. Swell is small and weak, with a combined energy barely hitting three digits (126 on Monday arvo), and the wave comment is just “poor surf conditions” – you know the drill, lumpy, choppy, and messy. Nothing to get excited about.

Saturday morning the 12th might offer a tiny glimmer. We get a bit of a drop in the wind to a light breeze, with a 4ft swell from the NNE. It’s still cross-on, and the energy is moderate (305), but the forecast only gives it a marginal nod. It’s a gamble at best, and definitely not a standout. That afternoon it’s back to the choppy stuff.

We then hit another gap of a few days with no real hope. The wind stays onshore or cross-shore, and the swell stays tiny. The afternoon of Sunday 13th sees a brief moment of glass, with a 2ft swell, but it’s so small it’s barely a ripple.

From the 14th onwards, the swell direction swings to the SSW, which is the optimum direction for El Medano, but the size just isn’t there. We’re looking at tiny, knee-high waves for most of that second week. The real kicker is that while the period gets long – hitting 14 to 18 seconds, which is proper groundswell – the height is pathetic. You’ll see the combined energy climb into the 200s and even 300s, which suggests there’s energy out there, but it’s just not translating to rideable waves on the beach. The wind stays a problem, mostly cross-onshore.

There’s a sniff of something on Monday morning 21st September, with a marginal call and a gentle cross-shore breeze, but again, it’s only 2ft from the SSW. You’d be chasing ankle-biters. For a spot that rarely breaks and has a beginner-friendly rating, this is a very long, quiet period. Honestly, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing with these consistent cross-onshore winds and small, weak swell. No standout sessions here, I’m afraid.

Rusty.

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