El Muelle Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s talk about El Muelle.

Alright, so we’ve got a bit of a mixed bag coming up over the next 16 days. There’s a lot of swell on the cards, but the winds and conditions are going to play games with us. For the most part, we’ll be scratching around for a window, but there are a couple of days that stand out as real beauties if you time it right.

We’re kicking off on Thursday, September 3rd, but honestly, it’s a write-off. Waves around 3ft from the ENE, but the wind is a messy cross-off and the overall energy is weak (142). Water temp is sitting at 51°, which is a solid 4° warmer than average for this time of year – that’s properly noticeable, you’ll be in a spring suit at most. But the surf is just poor.

Friday the 4th isn’t much better. We get a knee-high 4ft from the SSW with a short period of 7 seconds. Combined energy is moderate (277), but the winds are cross and cross-off, making it a messy one. Not worth paddling out.

Then on Saturday the 5th, the swell kicks up to 8ft from the SSW, but it’s a rain shower day with a fresh 19 mph cross-off wind. The energy gets a solid kick (936), but the quality is still only marginal. It’s not clean enough to get excited about, and the short period means it’ll be lumpy.

Come Sunday the 6th, we’ve got a solid 8ft south swell (1041 energy) but it’s blowing straight onshore from the SSE at 16 mph. That’s a washing machine. Not good for surfing.

The first half of the next week – Monday 7th through to Thursday 10th – is a proper flat spell. Swells drop below 2ft with barely any energy. The water goes glassy on the 9th, but with only 1ft of ENE swell, you’d be bobbing around on a lake. A real dead patch for about four days.

Things start flickering back to life on Saturday, September 12th. This is where it gets interesting. By the afternoon, we’ve got 6ft from the south, a light WSW breeze at only 6 mph, and the energy is pumping (895). The setup is clean and the wind is cross-off. This is the first real standout of the period – waves will be clean, steep, and packing some punch.

Sunday the 13th stays clean but runs smaller at 5ft from the SSE, with moderate north winds. The energy is still strong (665). It’s a decent follow-up day.

Monday the 14th has potential. The afternoon swings into a fresh offshore breeze from the NW at 19 mph, with a solid 7ft south swell. The energy is very strong (754). The offshore wind will make for some beautiful, groomed lines, but this is expert territory with that swell height. Not for beginners.

Tuesday the 15th sees a drop in wind to a light breeze, and 4ft from the SSW in the afternoon. Energy is moderate (435), and conditions are clean. A nice, more relaxed option.

Now, the real highlight looks to be Wednesday, September 16th. The afternoon brings 7ft of swell from the south with a long period of 12 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell. The wind is a cross-off from the west, and the combined energy hits a very strong 1085. The wave quality is excellent – expect long, powerful walls. This is a day for your step-up board and a keen eye on the tides. Perfect for a point break style setup.

Thursday, September 17th is a mess. We get a massive 8ft south swell (3605 energy) but it’s howling onshore from the SSW at 25 mph. That’s strong cross-onshore wind and messy – more suited to kite surfers than paddle surfers.

Finally, Friday, September 18th finishes strong. The morning has 5ft from the SSE with a 12-second period and a moderate offshore wind from the NW (773 energy). The afternoon holds at 5ft with 11 seconds and the same offshore breeze (525 energy). Clean, lined up, and very good. A great way to end the forecast.

To wrap it up, the best on offer is that Wednesday the 16th afternoon session, with the Saturday the 12th afternoon as a close runner-up. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too gnarly for the casual paddle.

Stay salty, Rusty.

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