El Palito Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, listen up. Rusty here. I’ve had a good look at what’s coming our way for the next couple of weeks, and I’ve got to be straight with you – it’s a pretty bleak stretch for a paddle. We’re looking at a long gap of poor surf quality right through, with no real standout days.

The first bit of surf that’s even worth mentioning shows up on Monday the 17th of August at El Palito. It’s a beach and breakwater setup, fairly exposed to the swell. The water’s sitting at 83°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so nothing weird there. But the waves? Honestly, it’s a struggle. We’ve got a weak NE swell coming in at 3 ft, with a short period of 7 seconds. The combined energy is pretty feeble at 73, and with a cross-on breeze from the ENE at 9 mph, it’s just choppy and messy. The forecast says “poor surf conditions,” and that’s the truth. This one’s a beginner-level spot, but even then, it’s not going to be much fun.

The next few days don’t get any better. Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th are more of the same – tiny waves around 2 ft to 2 ft, that short period, and winds that are either cross-on or glassy but with no real push. Wednesday morning actually goes glassy, with zero wind, but the swell is only 2 ft and the energy is down at 33. It’s pretty but there’s nothing to ride. Then from Thursday the 20th right through to Sunday the 30th, we hit a dead zone. Day after day of no surfable swell, just flat lines and cross-onshore winds. There’s a tiny flicker of life on Saturday the 29th morning with a 3 ft NE swell and 6-second period, but with a cross-on breeze, it’s still poor. The energy is a bit higher at 81, but it’s not enough to save it.

We finally get a hint of something on Monday the 31st of August. The morning session sees a glassy surface with a light NNE breeze and a small 2 ft swell from the NE, period of 6 seconds. The energy is weak at 33. It’s glassy, which is lovely, but the waves are just too small to get excited about. The afternoon goes cross-on and it’s back to poor conditions. That’s about it for the whole run.

Honestly, there’s nothing here that I’d call a standout. The swell is consistently small, short-period, and the winds are mostly onshore or cross-on. If you’re desperate for a paddle on a flat day, maybe the glassy mornings on the 19th or the 31st could give you a few ankle-biters, but don’t expect anything worth writing home about. The setup at El Palito with the onshore winds and weak swell might actually be more interesting for kite surfing than for a proper surf.

Keep your eyes on the forecasts, because it can’t stay this poor forever.

Rusty.

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