El Roque Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for El Roque over the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, this is a tough run. We’ve got a solid 16-day window but, honestly, the surf quality is pretty average for most of it. The main issue is the wind. It’s blowing from the north to north-northeast for days on end, which is cross-onshore or directly onshore for this spot. That means choppy, bumpy conditions that just don’t clean up. There are no true standouts here – nothing that screams “drop everything and go.” The first real chance of anything half-decent comes on Saturday the 5th of September, but even then it’s only a 5ft swell from the north with a short, weak period of 6 seconds. The combined swell energy is weak at 202, so don’t expect much push. The wind is light in the morning at 6 mph from the north, which is onshore, but at least it’s not howling. It’s still marginal at best.

The water temperature is sitting at 76°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year (an anomaly of 2°F). So the water’s nice if you’re just floating around.

The best of a bad bunch looks like Monday the 14th of September. The swell drops right off – only about 3ft – but it’s a long-period groundswell from the NNW with a period of 13 seconds. That longer period brings better shape and more energy, even if the height is small. The combined energy is moderate at 340, which is decent for the size. The wind is light from the WNW at 6 mph, so it’s a light cross-onshore breeze with just small ripples. It’s not glassy, but it’s the cleanest we’ll see all forecast. Given the shallow reef setup at El Roque, that longer period should wrap in nicely, but don’t expect a big wave – more of a longboard or funboard session.

After that, we get another little pulse on Wednesday the 16th of September – a 3ft to 3ft swell from the NNW with a very long period of 15-16 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 524 (moderate), so there’s some real weight behind those waves. But the wind swings back to NNE at 9-12 mph, making it cross-onshore and choppy again. For a reef break, that’s a shame – the swell quality is there, but the surface is gonna be messy.

The last chance is Thursday the 17th of September – similar story: a 3ft to 4ft NNW swell with a period of 12 seconds, but again, NNE wind at 12-15 mph ruins the party.

Overall, if you’re desperate for a paddle, the 14th is your best bet for a clean, slow, small wave session. For anything bigger and cleaner, you’re gonna have to wait and hope the forecasts change. This spot gets a lot of north swell, but without the right wind, it’s just not worth it. Stay patient.

Rusty.

Read more