El Roque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough one. We're looking at a long, dry spell with very little to get excited about.

For the first week, from Sunday the 6th to Saturday the 12th of September, the conditions are just poor. We've got a solid onshore wind from the north and north-northeast blowing at 12 to 16 mph, and that’s just trashing the surface. The swell is sitting around 5 ft to 7 ft from the north-northeast, but with a short, weak period of only 6 to 7 seconds, it’s just messy, wind-affected slop. The wave energy is moderate but all wrong – readings like 232 to 470 in the brackets tell you it's there, but it's not rideable. The wind is onshore the whole time, so it's a no-go. Don't even bother.

Now, there’s a glimmer of hope on Sunday the 13th of September. The wind finally eases off to a light breeze from the east-northeast at 6 mph, going cross-on and cross-shore. The swell drops to 4 ft from the north-northeast, with a period picking up to 8 seconds. The energy is still moderate (234 to 228), but the comments say "marginal surf forecast." It's not great, but it's the best we've seen. This is your only real chance this fortnight.

After that, it’s back to the doldrums. From Monday the 14th all the way through to Monday the 21st of September, we are looking at tiny surf, mostly below 3 ft. The wind is back onshore from the north, and the wave energy drops right off into the double digits, like 61 to 93 (weak). There’s a little blip on the 14th and 15th where the period gets long – 11 to 12 seconds – but the swell is only 2 ft from the northwest. That’s a tease, not a session. It's a total blank run, which, honestly, is pretty normal for this stretch.

The one and only standout: If you are absolutely desperate for a paddle, make it Sunday the 13th of September. Head to El Roque in the morning. The swell will be 4 ft from the north-northeast. The wind is light, which is about as clean as it gets in this forecast. The crowds are listed as "sometimes," so you might see a few other keen souls, but it’s the only window of anything rideable. It's still marginal, so don't expect magic, just some grovelly waves.

For the rest of the time? Leave the board in the car. The setup with the onshore winds and short-period swell is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. It’s a long wait.

- Rusty

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