El Muelle Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's on the cards for El Muelle. It's a bit of a mixed bag, but there are a couple of windows where it could get interesting. The water is sitting at 50°F, which is a touch warmer than what you'd usually expect for this time of year.

First up, the good stuff. Thursday afternoon the 27th? Forget it. We've got 3ft of swell from the SE, but it's a cross-shore wind and the energy reading is 316 – that's a solid moderate push, but the conditions are poor. Don't bother. You've got to wait a bit.

Friday the 28th is where it starts to turn. Friday morning there's a 3ft swell from the ENE with a short 8-second period. The wind is offshore from the WNW at 6 mph, making for clean surf. It's surfable, but pretty ordinary. The real standout is Friday afternoon. The swell drops a touch to 3ft from the ENE, but the period stretches to 9 seconds and the wind goes glassy from the S at 3 mph. The energy is up to 211. That's clean, glassy waves. This is the best on offer for the first week – a proper window of clean, surfable conditions.

Saturday the 29th keeps that theme. Morning has 3ft from the ENE with offshore WNW wind at 9 mph. The afternoon goes completely glassy with 0 mph wind from the SSE and a 3ft swell. Both are clean, but the energy is weaker, around 120 to 136. It's surfable, but not a standout.

From Sunday the 30th all the way through to Tuesday the 1st of September, it's a dry spell. Swell drops to 2ft to 2ft and while there's offshore wind, the energy is weak – down in the 40s and 50s. The wave comment says it all: poor surf conditions. A few days of nothing much to get excited about.

Wednesday the 2nd of September sees a bump in swell to 5ft from the SSW, but the period is a short 7 seconds and the wind is a strong cross-on from the SSW at 19 mph. The energy hits 346, but the conditions are lumpy and choppy. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Not for us.

Thursday the 3rd of September – Thursday morning is a re-entry point. 4ft of swell from the S with a 9-second period and a cross-offshore wind from the N at 9 mph. The energy is 234. It's clean and expect good surf conditions. That's promising. Friday the 4th of September morning is another bright spot: 3ft from the S with a 10-second period and offshore NNW wind at 9 mph. Energy at 260. Clean, offshore lines. That's the second standout – a clean little S swell.

After that, it drops off again. Saturday the 5th to Wednesday the 10th of September is a long stretch of small, weak swell with onshore or cross-shore winds. Energy readings are mostly under 150 and often below 100. There are a few clean moments, like the 9th of September morning with a 3ft S swell and 11-second period, but the energy is 361 and the wind is cross-offshore, not pure offshore. Still, the wave comment says poor surf conditions.

Friday the 11th of September is a late long-range tease. 2ft from the ESE with a very long 15-second period and offshore WNW wind at 16 mph. Energy is 292. Clean, but for that period, it's a groundswell. At a beach/pier setup like El Muelle, that long period can make the waves break too straight. It's promising, but months out, it's a 'keep an eye on it' situation.

So, your best bets: Friday the 28th afternoon for pure glassy conditions, and Friday the 4th of September morning for clean offshore lines on a small S swell. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too lumpy. Crowds are 'sometimes' a thing here, so on those clean days, you might have some company.

Rusty

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