El Palito Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s be honest about this next stretch. It’s not shaping up to be a classic run of surf, that’s for sure. We’ve got a ton of weak, onshore windswell and some long flat spells to get through. The first few days are going to test your patience.

Starting Wednesday the 5th, we have a tiny pulse at El Palito (El Palito) – maybe 3ft of NE windswell with a short 6-second period. It’s pretty gutless, and the cross-onshore breeze will chop it up. The combined energy is weak at 51, so it’s not even worth getting worked up about. The water temp is sitting at 83°, which is about normal for this time of year.

Then we hit a dead zone. From Thursday the 6th through to the following weekend, the swell charts are totally flat. There’s no wave data at all, and we’re looking at a solid gap with zero rideable surf. The wind stays onshore or cross-onshore, just rubbing salt in the wound. If you absolutely need to get wet, consider a flat day paddle or a longboard session in the knee-high dribble.

There’s a little bump of 3ft on Sunday the 9th morning, but it’s still short-period windswell from the NE and the energy is still weak, all of 60. The morning might have lighter winds, but it’s nothing to build a day around. This pattern repeats right through the middle of the month – weak 3ft to 3ft waves, usually getting torn apart by afternoon sea breezes and thunderstorms. There are a couple of glassy mornings on the 15th and 18th, but with no swell, it’s just a calm, pretty sea.

Now, here’s the one spark of hope in this whole forecast. It’s a long way out, over a week, so don’t go making any grand plans yet. On Sunday the 16th (that’s August 16th, mark it down), we finally see some real energy on the charts. The morning looks to be 4ft of NE swell, with the period jumping up to 9 seconds – that’s more organized, with more push behind it. The big tell is the combined energy, which skyrockets to 235, a massive jump from the weak one-digit and two-digit readings we’ve been getting. It’s still coming from the north-east, so not the ideal angle for El Palito, but it’s the most promise we get all stretch. The morning wind is forecast as light and onshore, so it won’t be glassy, but it’s the only window with any real waves. Conditions won’t be perfect, but after all this nothing, it will feel like a gift.

Beyond that, the outlook goes back to the same old story: flat days and cross-onshore slop. Keep your expectations in check and your eyes on that 16th. It’s the only date worth getting excited about.

Rusty.

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