El Roque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at the next couple of weeks. It’s a tough one, I’ll be straight with you – the first week is pretty much a washout. We finally see a bit of life towards the back half of the outlook, so don’t throw the boards in the shed just yet.

First up, El Roque (Canary Islands). This is a reef break that needs a solid north-northwest swell to come alive, and that direction is its sweet spot. Right now, the water temp is sitting at 76°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.

We’ve got a long wait ahead. From Friday the 28th of August all the way through to Monday the 7th of September, it’s a real grim stretch. The swell is mostly from the NNE with short periods around 7 to 8 seconds, and the wind is either cross-on or straight onshore from the N or NNE at 12 to 15 mph. The wave energy is weak to moderate at best, with readings like 355, 645, and 584 – meaning the water is full of chop, no shape to speak of. The score is a flat zero across those days. If you’re a kite surfer, the cross-onshore breeze and messy conditions might hold your interest, but for paddling, it’s a no-go.

The blank run breaks on Tuesday the 8th of September. Things start to look up. The wind eases off to a light breeze from the NNW to N, turning clean and onshore, and the swell holds steady around 6 ft from the NNE with a period of 7 seconds. Wave energy climbs to 454 (moderate) and the conditions are “light cross-onshore with small wind ripples.” It’s still only a 1 out of 10, marginal, but it’s a step in the right direction.

The best on offer in this whole 16-day window looks like Wednesday the 9th of September. We’ve got a clear morning, light N wind blowing 6 mph directly onshore, a clean 6 ft swell from the NNE with a period of 8 seconds, and the wave energy jumps to a solid 605 (moderate). It’s not perfect – the period is a bit short for a reef break, but the conditions are borderline good, and the wind is light enough not to ruin it. This is the pick of the week, the one to circle on the calendar. By the afternoon, it’s still decent but the energy drops a touch to 566.

After that, we slide back into mediocrity. Thursday the 10th through Saturday the 12th sees the swell drop to 3 ft to 5 ft, though long-period energy from the N with periods of 12 to 14 seconds appears on Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th. Wave energy spikes to 919 and even 1049 on Friday afternoon – that’s strong wave energy – but the wind is a light to moderate cross-on or onshore, and the surf is still rated marginal to poor. The long period (14 seconds) might give some shape at a reef, but the wind will probably mess it up.

Bottom line: if you’ve got to get wet, aim for the morning of Wednesday 9th of September. The rest of the first week is a write-off, and the second week is a tease with some raw energy but no clean windows. I’m calling it – it’s not hopeless, but you’ve got to be patient.

Rusty.

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