El Palito Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s call a spade a spade: the next couple of weeks at El Palito are looking pretty sad. We’ve got a long stretch of onshore and cross-onshore breezes messing up an already weak surf scene. The water temp is 84°, which is about normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a hood.

The first real chance of anything surfable doesn’t show up until Sunday the 13th. We get a small pulse of 3ft swell from the NE, with a period of 7 seconds. The energy behind it is weak, reading only 86. The morning looks clean with a light N wind, but the swell is short-period and the break is pretty exposed, so it won’t be anything to write home about. By the afternoon, the wind swings ENE and turns it messy. Honestly, this is more of a “get wet if you’re desperate” kind of day.

After that, we hit another dead spell. From Monday the 14th through Thursday the 17th, it’s flat and choppy. A couple of mornings have light winds, but there’s just no swell to push through. You’ll be staring at a lake out there.

Then, around Tuesday the 15th and into the weekend, we get a few tiny pulses of 0.3ft swell with longer periods—12 to 13 seconds. But with combined energy readings of just 3 or 6, that’s barely a ripple. It’s glassy on some mornings, which is about the only positive. You could probably ride a foamie on a longboard if you’re really keen, but it’s not what anyone would call a surf.

There’s a slight uptick on Sunday the 20th in the afternoon. A 2ft NE swell with a 6-second period and a light cross-shore wind brings the energy up to 39. Still poor, but at least it’s something. It’s messy and short-period, so don’t expect any walls.

Looking further out, the second week is more of the same—tiny 0.3ft to 0.7ft pulses and mostly onshore winds. The 25th and 26th have some glassy mornings with light winds, but the swell is basically non-existent. There’s just nothing to work with.

Let’s be real: this is a blank run for paddle surfing. If you’ve got a kite, the onshore winds and small chop might make it slightly more interesting, but for a surfboard, you’re better off finding a swimming pool. The good news is that El Palito is fairly consistent overall, so this kind of flat spell doesn’t usually last forever.

Keep an eye on the charts, but for now, I’d say give it a rest.

Rusty.

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