El Roque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – the 16-day window for the local reefs is a bit of a rough patch. It’s not that there’s no swell, but the conditions are just not playing ball for a decent paddle. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor surf quality, so let’s break down what’s actually going on.

The first real chance of anything starts Friday morning, July 24th, but honestly, it’s a no-go. We’ve got a 7 ft swell from the NNE, but a moderate onshore breeze at 16 mph is just ruining it. The combined swell energy is moderate at 472, but the onshore wind and short period of 7 seconds mean the waves are going to be a mess. This pattern holds through the weekend and into the next week. Swell heights stay between 5 ft and 8 ft, but the wind is relentless from the NNE, keeping everything onshore and choppy. The water temp is about 73° – that’s about normal for the time of year, so no surprises there.

By Monday, July 27th, the swell drops a touch to 6 ft, and we get a bit of a shift with wind from the N at 12 mph, but it’s still onshore. The energy is down to 381, and the period is still a short 8 seconds. This is just not worth suiting up for. The whole week looks like this – onshore winds, short-period swell, and poor surf. There’s a gap of several days where the quality is just zero.

Looking further out, there’s a glimmer on Sunday, August 2nd. The swell direction swings to the NNW with a much longer period of 12 seconds and a solid energy reading of 675. The swell height is only 4 ft to 5 ft, but the wind is lighter from the NNW at 9 mph and onshore. Now, this is a long-period groundswell, which is better for a point or reef like El Roque, but it’s still onshore. The water will be glassy-ish, but not truly clean. It’s a long-range hope, so keep an eye on the forecast.

The final week is a mixed bag. The swell drops right off early in the week, with heights under 3 ft and energy under 300. Then, around Thursday, August 6th, the swell picks up again to 5 ft from the NNE, but the period is back to a short 7 seconds. This pattern continues into the second weekend, with 6 ft to 7 ft swell from the NNE, but still onshore winds. The energy is moderate, around 420-485, but the short period and onshore wind will keep it choppy and poor.

For the whole period, there’s no standout day. The setup is actually more interesting for kite surfers than paddle surfers, given the consistent onshore winds and moderate swell. If you’re desperate for a paddle, the best chance is the Sunday, August 2nd, with the long-period groundswell, but it’s not a guarantee. The surf is poor now, and it’s likely to stay that way for a while.

Rusty.

Read more