El Palito Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for El Palito. Gotta be straight with you – this 16-day window is a tough one. The first real surf we see is on Monday morning, July 20th, but it’s a bit of a slow start, and after that, we hit a long, dry spell.

The pattern starts with a tiny pulse on Monday morning, July 20th. We’ve got a weak 3ft NE swell pushing in, with a short period of 7 seconds. The combined energy is weak at 86. The real kicker here is the wind: it’s glassy, coming from the N at only 3 mph. That’s the kind of clean surface you dream about, but the swell is pretty anemic. Still, for a beginner-friendly spot like this, it’s a chance to get wet. The water’s sitting at 82°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no wetsuit needed.

After that Monday morning window, it goes quiet. From Monday afternoon, July 20th, all the way through to the morning of Saturday, July 25th, there’s just nothing. The conditions are poor – mostly cross-onshore breezes, risk of thunderstorms, and the rideable waves just disappear. That’s a solid four-day gap with no recommendations.

Then, on Saturday morning, July 25th, we get a tiny window. Another 3ft NE swell, but the period drops to 6 seconds, and the combined energy is only 79. The wind is onshore, so it’s gonna be bumpy. Not worth getting excited about. Sunday, July 26th, sees a similar story with a slightly smaller 3ft NE swell, but the same light onshore wind. Not great.

The next flicker of hope comes on Monday morning, July 27th. We see a 3ft NE swell with a 6-second period, and the energy is even weaker at 60. But the wind? Glassy again from the north. That kills me. The waves are tiny, but the surface would be like a mirror. It’s a “surfable but very ordinary” situation.

The rest of the forecast is a mess. We see a few more little pulses on July 28th, July 31st, and August 3rd, but they’re all small (2ft to 3ft), short-period (6-7 seconds), and the wind is always onshore or cross-onshore. The afternoons are consistently blown out and choppy, especially with the moderate breeze from the ENE on days like July 30th and August 4th.

Looking at the big picture, there’s no standout session here. The only decent conditions are those two glassy mornings (July 20th and July 27th) but the swell is just too weak to make it a proper session. The best bet for a beginner who just wants to feel the glide is Monday morning, July 20th. The water is warm, the wind is off, and the swell is there even if it’s small. It’s the best of a bad bunch.

For the rest of the run, it’s either flat, or the wind is junk. This is one of those stretches where you take the longboard out for a paddle if you’re keen, or you just wait for the next forecast.

Rusty out.

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