El Palito Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be honest with you, this stretch is looking pretty grim. We’re staring down a long, dry run with barely a wave to get excited about.

Looking at the whole 16-day window, the only spot that's even trying is El Palito, a beach and breakwater setup. It’s fairly consistent, but don't let that fool you. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing wild there.

The first sign of any life is on Sunday, the 9th of August. We’ve got a weak little pulse of 3ft swell from the NE, but the period is a short 6 seconds – that’s just wind slop, no real energy behind it (combined energy of all swells directed here is only 60). Even with a light breeze from the N in the morning, it’s still being called "poor surf conditions". The afternoons are all cross-onshore, making it a choppy mess.

Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th are more of the same. Tiny, weak NE windswell, nothing over 3ft, and periods under 8 seconds. The energy is even lower – 39 on Monday morning. The wind is light and offshore in the mornings, but the waves just aren't there. It’s a frustrating tease.

Then we hit a massive gap. From the 12th of August all the way through the 16th, there’s absolutely no swell showing. Zilch. Zero. The wind is a bit of a mix, and on Saturday the 15th morning we get a glassy moment with the wind from the ENE at 3 mph, but without any swell, it’s a flat, pretty lake. Not a board in sight.

We finally get a little bump again on Monday the 17th of August. The swell is small, 3ft, but the period stretches to 8 seconds, which is a tiny bit better. The combined energy is still weak (84). After a week of nothing, even this little ripple feels like a big deal. There’s a morning window with a light offshore N wind, so it might be worth a look for a micro-session on a longboard.

Tuesday the 18th sees the biggest swell of the whole run, 3ft from the NE with an 8-second period, and the combined energy hits 139 – that’s moderate, finally. The morning wind is light and onshore from the NNE, so it’s not clean, but it’s the best we’ve got. Still, it’s a long way from a stand-out.

After that, it dries up again. From the 19th through the 21st, it’s back to zero swell and cross-onshore afternoons. A total blank run.

Honestly, if you’ve got a kite, this might be more interesting than a surfboard. The consistent cross-onshore winds and choppy conditions are better suited for that. For us paddle surfers, the best bet is a tiny window on the morning of Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th for some small, weak waves. Don't get your hopes up.

Rusty.

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