El Porto Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got coming up over the next couple of weeks. The outlook is pretty slim, so we’ll be honest about it. Most of the time, the surf is just too weak and messy to get excited about. There’s nothing major on the cards, but there are a couple of windows where it might clean up just enough for a session.

The first real chance is on Tuesday morning, the 18th of August. We’ve got a small, long-period groundswell rolling in from the SSW at about 2 ft. The period is a solid 16 seconds, which means there’s some good energy behind it (combined energy of all swells here is 260). The wind is light and cross-offshore, making the waves clean. This is a tiny wave, but it’s clean, and on a long-period swell, those sets will have a bit more shape. It’s a beginner-friendly size, so a good one for the learners if you can snag a peak. Water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing strange.

There’s then a real dry spell through the rest of the week and the weekend, with hardly anything worth paddling out for. The swell drops off significantly, and most sessions are plagued by cross-onshore winds. The combined wave energy drops into the low 100s, sometimes even lower – just weak and choppy. The crowds at El Porto can be *often* a factor, but with surf this small, it should be quiet.

The next real standout doesn’t come until the following Monday morning, the 24th of August. The swell is still small at 1 ft, but we get some very clean conditions. The wind goes *glassy* for the morning, with barely a breath of air. That’s a huge positive. The swell is from the SW with a very long 18-second period, which will give it some push despite the size (combined energy is 252). It’s small, but glassy and clean for those logs and fun shapes.

Then another gap appears. The next time we see some decent conditions is on Thursday morning, the 27th of August. The swell is still just 1 ft from the SW, but we get a clean cross-offshore wind from the SSE. The period is a very long 19 seconds, so the energy is still there (combined energy of 203). It’s a tiny, clean wave. The last decent window comes on Monday, the 31st of August, with a similar setup: small SSW swell (2 ft) and clean cross-offshore winds.

So, the best of a poor bunch is Tuesday morning the 18th for the slightly bigger swell, and Monday morning the 24th for the glassy, clean conditions. The long-range sessions are promising in terms of wind, but the size is always tiny. Don’t expect much power. It’s a quiet period, but there are a few windows if you’re desperate.

Stay patient,
Rusty

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