El Roque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s chew through this one. We’ve got a 16-day window that’s a total write-off for quality waves. The only spot on the map is El Roque, a reef that’s friendly for beginners and fairly consistent, but it’s not doing us any favors right now.

From August 18th all the way to September 2nd, it’s a relentless run of poor surf conditions. No day offers anything rideable. Right from the start on Tuesday morning, August 18th, the water temp is 75°F, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year.

On Tuesday, August 18th, we’ve got a 3 ft swell from the north, period 9 seconds – that’s weak groundswell energy (166) – but the wind is onshore at 9 mph, so it’s already messy. By afternoon, it’s a light cross-onshore breeze with small bumps. Wednesday and Thursday are the same story: 4 ft to 4 ft of north-northeast swell, short 8-second periods, and onshore wind at 9 to 12 mph. Combined energy climbs a little to 211 on Thursday morning, but it’s pointless with that wind.

Friday the 21st bumps the swell to 5 ft in the afternoon, but the period tanks to a terrible 6 seconds, and the onshore wind stays strong at 12 mph. Junky surf. The weekend tries to build. Saturday the 22nd has swell up to 6 ft from the north-northeast, period still short at 7 seconds, and onshore wind at 12 mph. Combined energy hits 348 in the afternoon, but it’s just choppy junk.

Monday the 24th of August brings a bigger pulse: 6 ft of north-northeast swell, 8-second period, and combined energy surging to 538 in the afternoon – that’s moderate to strong energy. But the wind is cross-onshore at 15 mph, creating moderate cross-onshore chop. For a reef like El Roque that needs clean glassy conditions or light offshore from the south, this wind is a dealbreaker.

The rest of the run into early September stays in the same rut. Swells from 3 ft to 6 ft, short periods mainly 6 to 9 seconds, and constant cross-onshore winds from the north-northeast at 9 to 15 mph. The best wind we see is “on” a few times, but it’s onshore from the north – no good.

Late August sees a slight shift. On Sunday, August 30th, we get a 3 ft swell from the north-northwest at a 10-second period – that’s closer to El Roque’s ideal NN W direction – but combined energy is a weak 204, and the wind is still cross-onshore at 12 mph. Not surfable.

Bottom line: there’s no standout session in this whole stretch. Poor wind direction, short-period swell, and constant chop mean you’re better off leaving the board at home. With the onshore breeze and choppy conditions, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. It’s a long dry spell, but forecasts can change. For now, it’s a blank.

Rusty.

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