El Palito Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, giving you the straight talk.

This 16-day stretch for El Palito is a bummer. There’s no good surf to be had. The whole forecast is a string of "poor surf conditions," and the scores are all zeros. The first week is especially flat and messy, with a few weak little pulses that never turn into anything. The biggest gap with no real surf energy is the first several days, but even when there’s a tiny bump, the quality is terrible.

Right now, on Tuesday, August 18th, you’ve got a tiny 2-foot swell from the NE with a short period of 7 seconds. The overall wave energy is weak (39), and the wind is a cross-on mess from the north at 6 mph. The water is a warm 83°F, which is about normal for the time of year. It’s not surfable.

Wednesday the 19th has a rare moment of glassy conditions in the morning – wind from the NNE at 3 mph – but it’s still only 2 feet of that same short-period NE swell (17 energy). It’s clean, but there’s no power. The afternoon goes cross-shore and the energy drops. Not worth it.

From Thursday the 20th right through to the end of August, the ocean just goes quiet for long stretches. There are a few mornings with a tiny bump: 3 to 3 feet of NE swell, periods around 6-7 seconds, and energy values that barely crack 80. The wind is usually cross-on or onshore, especially in the afternoons when it picks up to 12 mph from the ENE. The morning of Saturday the 22nd shows the largest of the bunch – 3 feet from the NE with 7 seconds and 84 energy – but it’s still described as "poor surf conditions." The crowd factor is "sometimes" at El Palito, but trust me, nobody is out there for this.

The end of the window, Monday, August 31st, has a morning with a 2-foot NE swell, 6 seconds, and a light cross-offshore breeze from the SW at 3 mph. That gives clean conditions, but the energy is still weak (24). It’s a nice look, but not a real surf.

The last two days, September 1st and 2nd, are a joke: 0.3 feet of long-period 12-second swell, which is basically a puff of wind on the water. The energy is 6 or less. Forget it.

Honestly, this is a blank run. The break is "fairly consistent" normally, so it’s a bit of a bummer, but the forecasts can change. For now, leave the board at home.

Rusty.

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