El Murcielago Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s rolling in for the next couple of weeks at El Murcielago.

The overall pattern is one of small, long-period SW groundswell with clean mornings but messy afternoons. The water is sitting at a warm 81°, which is a massive 9° warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s very unusual, and you’ll be sweating in your wetsuit. The combined wave energy is moderate, bouncing around the 200–300 range (251 on Sunday morning), so there’s some push, but it’s not huge.

Sunday morning, the 6th of September, kicks things off with a 3 ft SW swell at 14 seconds. It’s a proper long-period groundswell, which means better shaped waves but longer lulls between sets. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the SSW at 9 mph, keeping things clean. The afternoon turns cross-on and choppy, so get your session in early.

Monday morning the 7th is the standout. You’ve got 2 ft of SW swell at 13 seconds, and the wind goes glassy – just 3 mph from the WSW. That’s about as perfect as it gets for a small day. The water is still warm, the energy is moderate (209), and the wave quality is good. This is the best on offer. Expect clean, lined-up waves with hardly a ripple. The crowd profile says “sometimes”, so you might have a few out, but nothing crazy.

The following mornings continue the trend: Tuesday the 8th has 2 ft SW at 16 seconds with a light cross-off SSE breeze; Wednesday the 9th has 2 ft SW at 18 seconds with light cross-off SW wind; Thursday the 10th has 2 ft SW at 16 seconds with a gentle cross-off; Friday the 11th has 2 ft SW at 14 seconds with a glassy cross-off; and Saturday the 12th has 2 ft SW at 13 seconds with a light cross-off. All clean, all surfable, but the swell is small and the energy is dropping. The 16-second period on Tuesday and Wednesday means the waves will have a nice shape but will be a bit fat and drifty at a beach break, so keep that in mind.

From Sunday the 13th onwards, the swell drops off significantly. The energy dips below 120, and the swell height hovers around 1 ft to 2 ft. The mornings are clean but the waves are very ordinary. The afternoon winds are all cross or cross-on, making it choppy and messy. By the 19th of September, the swell is down to 0.7 ft with a very long 18-second period, but the energy is weak (56) and the wind is cross. It’s not worth paddling out. The last week is a real struggle – there’s a long gap of very poor surf, with only a few brief, clean but tiny windows.

So, the clear play is Sunday the 7th morning. That glassy wind and small but clean groundswell is your best chance. After that, the mornings are still okay through the 12th, but the quality drops. After the 13th, it’s looking like a blank run for a solid week. This is a spot that is very consistent, so it’s a bit of a bummer, but forecasts can change. For now, get it while you can.

Rusty.

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