El Palito Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – this 16-day window is a tough one for us. Right from the start and through pretty much every day until late July, the surf is either flat or just too messy to get excited about. We do have a couple of pulses of small swell, but the conditions around them are poor – a lot of cross-onshore wind and the occasional thunderstorm risk. The low point runs for a solid stretch from mid-July right through to the 23rd, with days on end where there’s not a single rideable wave on the cards. It’s the kind of pattern where you’re better off checking the cams in hope rather than expectation.

The only real chance of getting wet comes at El Palito (beach and breakwater). It’s a beginner-friendly spot, fairly consistent, but with the swell this small it won’t be offering much punch. The first faint glimmer is on Sunday afternoon, July 12th, with a 3ft NE swell, but the period is a short 7 seconds and it’s coming with a cross-onshore wind from the ENE at 9 mph – that's a recipe for choppy, weak surf. Not worth racing to.

Monday morning July 13th is even smaller at 3ft and similar poor wind. The better moments actually come when there’s almost no swell, like Tuesday morning July 14th when the water goes glassy, but with zero energy it’s a total flat calm. Not a wave in the place.

We get a couple more days with a small 3ft NE swell (July 15th and July 20th), but again with poor conditions and weak energy. The combined wave energy never breaks into the moderate range once in this whole forecast, topping out at just 97 (July 15th morning). The water temperature on the 12th is sitting at 82°F with a tiny anomaly, so it’s pretty normal for this time of year – bath water warm.

The only slot that even sniffs of something is Friday morning July 24th. There’s a 3ft NE swell (7 sec period), and crucially, the wind swings glassy from the NNE at just 3 mph. That early morning window might give you a clean, waist-high wave if you’re desperate, but with crowds possible at this spot and the energy low, it’s flat and weak.

Bottom line: there’s no standout session here. No big swell, no pulse of strong groundswell, no open windows of perfection. If you’ve got a kite, the afternoons with moderate cross-onshore wind and a bit of bump might be more interesting than a paddle. Otherwise, just leave the board in the car for most of this run.

Stay patient. Forecasts can change.

\- Rusty

Read more