El Muelle Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me break it down for you in feet and miles. It’s a tough stretch, I won’t lie. We’re looking at a long couple of weeks with hardly anything to get excited about, but there is one small window if you’re patient.

From Friday the 11th through to early on Tuesday the 22nd of September, it’s basically all "poor surf conditions" every single day. That’s nearly two weeks of onshore wind, tiny swell, and just nothing worth paddling out for. The first real crack at something shows up late on Tuesday the 22nd, but don’t count your chickens.

The only spot worth talking about is El Muelle, a reef and point break that’s consistent and likes a north-northwest swell. But for the first week and a half, the wind is howling from the north at 15 to 19 mph, straight onshore. Swell height is around 4 ft to 4 ft from the north, but the wind just ruins it. The period is short—7 to 8 seconds—so it’s weak and bumpy. The combined swell energy gets up to around 292 (moderate) on Saturday the 12th, but with that wind, it’s useless. Water temp is about 75°, which is normal for this time of year.

The only real standout in the whole 16 days is Monday, the 21st of September. Early morning at El Muelle, the wind goes glassy—ESE at 3 mph, absolutely clean. But the swell is tiny: only about 2 ft from the north with a short period. The energy is weak (75). It’s a tease, not a proper session. If you’re a beginner, that size is fine, but there’s barely any wave.

Then, on Tuesday the 22nd of September, we finally get a pulse of long-period groundswell. The swell is from the north-northwest at about 2 ft, but the period jumps to 14–15 seconds. That’s a real groundswell, very long period, so it’ll have some power on the sets. The combined energy climbs to 281 (moderate) on Tuesday morning. Wind is light, cross-onshore from the north-northeast at 6 mph, so it’s not perfect, but it’s rideable. The morning is listed as "marginal" due to tide or conditions, but it’s the best we’ve seen. This kind of long-period swell works great at a reef and point like El Muelle. Expect possible crowds, as it’s a known spot.

After that, Wednesday the 23rd sees a bigger swell—about 4 ft from the NNW at 12 seconds, energy up to 454 (moderate to strong)—but the wind is back onshore from the north-northeast at 12 mph. That’s going to be choppy and messy, only for experienced surfers if you can find a clean one. Too big for beginners, and the wind kills the quality.

From Thursday the 24th onward, it fades into tiny, weak swell with onshore winds. The last days of the month are flat.

So here it is: a long, frustrating dry spell. The only real standout, and it’s a humble one, is Tuesday the 22nd of September early at El Muelle. Glassy wind, long-period groundswell, small but clean. If you can hold out, that’s your best bet. Everything else is a write-off.

Rusty.

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