El Roque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. We’ve got a long stretch ahead, and honestly, it’s a tough one. The whole 16-day outlook is a bit of a battle for clean waves. The water temperature is running a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 75°, so you won’t need a thick wetsuit.

Looking at the first real run of surf, from Wednesday 19th August right through to Monday 31st August, it’s a constant but messy picture. The surf is there, but it’s just not cooperating. The wave energy is weak to moderate, with the combined swell energy reading around 172 to 686 (m). The swell is coming from the N and NNE, mostly short period, around 7 to 8 seconds, so it’s windswell, lacking that punchy groundswell power. The wind is a major issue – it’s onshore or cross-onshore from the N and NNE for almost every session, which is going to chop things up and keep the quality poor.

There’s really no standout session in that first two weeks. The surf is small, mostly between 3 ft and 7 ft, but it’s consistently blown out. Even when the swell pushes up a little around the 27th and 28th of August, the cross-onshore wind just ruins it. The best you could hope for is a brief window of cleaner conditions, but it’s hard to find.

After that, we get into a bit of a lull. From Tuesday 1st September through to Thursday 3rd September, the swell drops right back, with heights around 3 ft to 5 ft, and the energy is still low (201 to 343). The wind stays stubbornly cross-onshore, so it’s still a frustrating picture.

The only break worth mentioning here is El Roque, a reef setup that’s fairly consistent and exposed to the swell. It’s a beginner-friendly spot, but with the poor conditions, it’s not a safe bet. The swell direction is mostly NNE, but the optimum is from the NNW, so we’re not even getting the right angle for the best shape. It’s a real shame, because the reef has potential, but the wind and swell combo just isn’t delivering.

If you’re a kite surfer, that 7 ft to 7 ft chop with strong cross-onshore wind might be more interesting than paddling. For the rest of us, it’s a waiting game. The forecasts can change, and it tends not to stay this poor for long, but right now, there’s nothing to get excited about.

Rusty.

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