El Palito Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for El Palito over the next couple of weeks.

First things first, we’re staring down the barrel of a pretty barren run. From now until the end of July, there’s nothing doing. The wind is all over the shop, mostly cross-onshore, and the surf is flat. It’s a tough stretch, and you’d be better off leaving the boards in the shed.

The first real sniff of something happens on Saturday morning, 1st of August. We’ve got a small north-easterly swell pushing in at about 3 ft. The period is a short 7 seconds, so it’s not going to have much punch. The combined energy is weak, sitting at just 73. But here’s the thing – the wind is light and offshore from the south, and the water is clean. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. For a beginner-friendly spot like El Palito, a little waist-high wave with clean conditions is about all you can ask for, but don’t expect much.

After that, it’s back to the doldrums. We’ve got a massive gap of almost a full week with absolutely nothing. Day after day of onshore, cross-onshore, or just flat, poor surf. Sunday the 2nd starts glassy in the morning, which is a tease, but there’s no swell to go with it. It’s frustrating, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.

We finally get another little pulse on Saturday morning, 8th of August. The swell bumps up to 3 ft from the north-east, with that same short 7-second period. The combined energy is still low, at 89. The wind is onshore from the north-north-east, so it’s going to be a bit messy. It’s still classed as poor surf, and honestly, it’s not a standout.

The pattern repeats: a few days of nothing, then on Monday afternoon, 10th of August, we see another 3 ft, 7-second, north-easterly swell pop up, but with a moderate cross-onshore wind. The energy is 84. Again, not worth getting excited about.

The last real chance in the window is on Wednesday afternoon, 12th of August. Another 3 ft, 7-second, north-easterly swell, combined energy of 91. The wind is cross-onshore, so it’s choppy and poor.

There is a tiny blip right at the very end: on Friday morning, 14th of August, we get a glassy calm morning with a tiny 0.3 ft, 14-second, northerly swell. The period is long, but the size is absolutely nothing. Combined energy is a pathetic 4. It’s a whisper of a wave, but not enough to ride.

So, what’s the best on offer? Honestly, it’s the Saturday morning, 1st of August session. It’s the only time that has clean, offshore wind with any swell. The water temperature is about average for the time of year. It’s not a classic, but it’s all we’ve got. The other days are just a write-off. For a beach and breakwater setup that’s fairly exposed, this is a proper flat spell. It’s more of a kiteboarding scene than a surfing one right now, if you ask me.

Keep your chin up, the forecasts can change.

Rusty.

Read more