El Palito Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks. I’m gonna be straight with you – it ain’t looking great for a proper paddle. The swell’s gonna be tiny and the conditions are mostly messy, but there’s a couple of small windows where you might get a little slide if you’re desperate.

The only spot we’ve got to look at for this whole run is El Palito, a beach and breakwater set-up. Water temp is sitting pretty average for this time of year, no big news there.

Right off the bat, we’ve got Monday the 17th. Morning’s got a glassy surface with a whisper of a swell – we’re talking 0.3 ft from the NE with an 11-second period. That’s a long-period groundswell but with almost no height, combined energy is a pathetic 5. It’s a total flat spell. Afternoon turns cross-onshore and choppy. Forget it.

Tuesday the 18th is a bit better but still poor. Morning swell bumps to 3 ft from the NE, period drops to a short 7 seconds. Cross-onshore wind at 6 mph keeps things messy. Combined energy is 56, so just a weak pulse. Same story Tuesday afternoon.

Now, Wednesday the 19th morning is probably your best bet in this whole outlook. The wind goes glassy, which is a major plus, and the swell is 2 ft from the NNE with a short 6-second period. Energy is only 21. It’s not much, and the short period means weak, crumbly waves, but if you’ve got a foam board and you just want to bob around, it’ll be the cleanest the water gets. The break is fairly consistent for this spot, and it’s a beginner-friendly wave, so don’t expect any gems. Crowds are possible though, so you might have company.

From Thursday the 20th right through to Wednesday the 27th of August, there’s a massive gap. We’re looking at flat spells, no swell, and mostly cross-onshore or unknown wind conditions. A solid week and a bit of absolutely nothing worth paddling out for.

Then on Tuesday the 25th of August morning, we get a little pulse back – 2 ft from the NE, period 7 seconds, energy 44. But the wind is cross-onshore again. Same size on the 26th, energy up to 77, but still cross-onshore.

The last little tease is on Saturday the 29th of August morning – a tiny 0.3 ft from the N with a 10-second period, energy just 2. That’s basically a ripple. The wind is unknown, so don’t bank on it. After that, through to the 1st of September, we’re back to glassy mornings but flat as a tack.

So here’s the truth: there’s only one day that’s even worth a mention, and that’s Wednesday the 19th of August morning. Even then, it’s tiny and short-period. The rest is a write-off for surf. If you’ve got a kite and the wind picks up on those afternoon cross-onshore days, you might have more fun than a surfer will.

Rusty.

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