El Palito Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – this 16-day window for El Palito is a tough one. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing much, and then a few little windows that might get you wet, but don’t expect any fireworks. The first real chance of a surf doesn’t pop up until Sunday morning, the 5th of July.

Before that, Friday the 3rd and Saturday the 4th are a write-off. Friday afternoon is dead flat with a combined swell energy of 0, and Saturday morning barely stirs with a tiny 2ft NE swell and a short period of 6 seconds – not enough push to do anything with, and the cross-on wind won’t help. The energy is a weak 36.

So, the first glimmer comes Sunday morning, the 5th. We’re looking at a 3ft NE swell, period of 7 seconds, and the wind is glassy – that’s the big positive here. It’s clean, with a combined energy of 63. The water temperature is sitting at 82°, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year, nothing crazy. It’s surfable, but it’s very ordinary. You’ll be scratching for waves. This is a beginner-friendly beach and breakwater setup, and it’s fairly consistent, so it might work for a learner’s session, but don’t expect any quality.

Monday morning, the 6th, offers a similar story: 3ft from the NE, 7 seconds, glassy again, with a combined energy of 61. It’s the same deal – clean conditions but tiny, weak swell. Good for a paddle if you’re desperate, but not much else.

Then we hit a massive gap. From Monday afternoon right through to Sunday the 12th, it’s all poor surf conditions, with no swell energy to speak of. The wind is either cross-on or onshore, often choppy. It’s a dead run.

The next little flicker comes on Monday morning, the 13th of July. The swell nudges up to 3ft from the NE, period of 7 seconds, with a combined energy of 94. Still weak, but it’s a slight bump. However, the wind is onshore, so it’s not clean. The score is still a zero – poor surf conditions.

After that, another gap until Thursday morning, the 16th of July. We’ve got a 3ft NE swell, 7-second period, combined energy of 91, and glassy winds. That’s the best of the late run. It’s clean, but the swell is still small and weak. It’s surfable, but very ordinary.

Friday morning, the 17th, repeats the pattern: 3ft NE, 7 seconds, glassy, energy of 97. Same story.

The standout, if you can call it that, is the glassy mornings on the 5th, 6th, 16th, and 17th. They’re the only times the wind is truly clean, and the swell is just barely enough to get you on a foamie. This break is fairly consistent, but in this forecast, it’s stubbornly poor. The NNE optimum swell direction is what’s on offer, but the short period and tiny height mean it’s just a dribble. For a beginner, the glassy windows on the 16th and 17th are your best bet – but don’t plan a trip around it. Crowds are possible, as it’s sometimes packed.

Given the small swell and poor quality for most of the window, this setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer when the wind picks up.

Rusty.

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