El Palito Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mates, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you—this forecast is a bit of a struggle. We're looking at a 16-day window that's mostly a write-off for decent waves. The surf comes in dribs and drabs, but it's plagued by bad wind and weak, short-period swell for the vast majority of it.

The only real flicker of hope comes right at the end of the period. We've got a massive gap with no real recommendations until the very last day. The water temperature at El Palito is sitting at 83°F, which is just about bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Alright, let's break it down. From Wednesday the 19th right through to Sunday the 30th of August, it's a grim run. We're seeing tiny swell heights, mostly around 3 ft, with a period of just 6 seconds. That's weak, short-period windswell, and the wave energy is pathetic, coming in below 100 (66). The wind is almost always cross-onshore or onshore, making the conditions choppy and nasty. Even on the morning of Sunday the 23rd, when we get a brief moment of glassy conditions, the swell is still tiny and weak—it's surfable, but don't get your hopes up.

This leads to a stretch of nine whole days with nothing worth paddling out for. The consistent nature of the poor conditions here is a bit of a bummer.

Now, let's talk about the standout—if you can call it that. On Monday the 31st of August, there's a spike in the data. The swell jumps to 3 ft, but the period extends to 12 seconds, which is a proper groundswell. The wave energy also jumps to 193 (moderate energy). It's coming from the NE, which is right on the money for the optimum direction at El Palito (NNE). The wind is a light cross-onshore, so it won't be clean, but it's the best we've got. Keep in mind this is a long-period swell, which can make it more powerful and give longer lulls between sets. It's a promising, but distant, highlight.

El Palito is a beach and breakwater setup, fairly exposed to the swell. It's a beginner-friendly spot, but it's also fairly inconsistent. Crowds are possible from time to time. Given the long run of poor wind and small swell, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for most of the period.

So, to sum it up: the next 12 days are a dud. The only real chance you've got is to keep an eye on that Monday the 31st of August. It's a long way off, but it's the only beacon in the fog.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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