
Surf Forecasts:
El Zonte surf forecast from 7 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 17s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 17s period, SSW swell with 1,009 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 7 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 13s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for El Zonte this week:
The surf forecast for El Zonte over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at El Zonte in the next 16 days are 1.3m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 9s period and expected on Friday (Sep 11) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for El Zonte over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Alright, listen up, ’cause this next stretch at El Zonte has got some serious charm for those in the know. We’re looking at a solid run of clean, fun-sized swell, and if you pick your moments, you’ll be in for a treat.
First up, the water’s sitting at a warm 86°, which is about a degree and a half toastier than usual for this time of year – nothing crazy, but you’ll notice it’s a touch on the balmy side. The energy in the water is moderate, with combined swell energy readings mostly sitting in the 400 to 600 range (moderate wave energy), but there are some real peaky moments where that jumps up.
The standout run starts on Tuesday the 8th. That morning, it’s dead glassy – zero wind – and you’ve got a clean 3ft swell wrapping in from the SSW at 13 seconds. That’s a proper little groundswell, and with the reef and point setup here, it’ll line up nicely. The energy’s sitting at 598 (moderate wave energy), and the conditions are just about perfect for an advanced surfer. Thursday the 10th morning is another absolute gem: glassy again, swell picking up to 3ft from the SSW, but the period jumps to 17 seconds – that’s some serious push for the size. The energy spikes to 964 (moderate to strong wave energy), and you’ll feel that extra grunt on the takeoff.
Friday the 11th morning keeps the ball rolling with 4ft from the SW at 16 seconds, and it’s nearly glassy – just a slight air. That’s another morning where the point will be working its magic.
Now, there’s a bit of a dip mid-weekend, but by Wednesday the 16th morning, we’re back in business. You’ve got 4ft from the SSW at 16 seconds, glassy as a mirror, and the energy’s pumping at 988 (moderate to strong wave energy). That’s the best size of the whole run – clean, punchy, and perfect for the advanced crew. Thursday the 17th morning is similar, with 4ft from the SW at 14 seconds and that same glassy vibe.
Later in the run, Saturday the 20th morning is a cracker: dead calm, 2ft from the SW at 18 seconds, and it’s glassy. The afternoon that same day is worth a mention too – 3ft from the SSW at 19 seconds, glassy again, with energy at 776 (moderate wave energy). Sunday the 21st morning is another glassy one with 3ft from the SW at 18 seconds.
A quick heads-up: those long-period swells (over 15 seconds) can get a bit straight at beach breaks, but El Zonte is a reef, point, and rivermouth setup, so it handles that just fine. The crowds here are only a ‘sometimes’ thing, so you’ll likely have plenty of room to yourself.
The only real bummer is the afternoons – the wind tends to swing onshore and mess things up, but every morning is a golden window. The near-term mornings (Tuesday 8th through Friday 11th) are your safest bet; the later standouts (16th through 21st) look promising but carry a bit more uncertainty that far out.
No massive 8ft+ days here, so these waves are accessible for strong intermediates and up, but the quality is in the cleanliness and the long-period grunt.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Tue night. Warm (max 31°C on Tue morning, min 26°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 31°C on Thu morning, min 27°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 19 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
545 | 456 | 304 | 299 | 264 | 237 | 326 | 258 | 807 | 629 | 739 | 739 | 729 | 516 | 407 | 407 | 301 | 186 | 178 | 140 | 251 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | off | glassy | on | off | glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:45AM1.90m | 11:28PM1.70m | 11:56AM1.93m | 00:35AM1.83m | 12:59PM1.98m | 1:33AM1.98m | 1:54PM2.04m | 2:23AM2.11m | 2:44PM2.08m | 3:09AM2.21m | 3:29PM2.08m | 3:51AM2.25m | 4:12PM2.06m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:18PM0.40m | 5:36AM0.44m | 6:23PM0.33m | 6:45AM0.36m | 7:19PM0.24m | 7:44AM0.26m | 8:09PM0.16m | 8:37AM0.17m | 8:55PM0.11m | 9:24AM0.11m | 9:37PM0.10m | 10:08AM0.10m | 10:18PM0.12m | ||||||||
5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | |
— | 6:04 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | |
mm | — | — | 6 | — | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 9 |
Temp °C | 30 | 29 | 27 | 31 | 29 | 27 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 31 | 30 | 27 |
Feels °C | 33 | 32 | 30 | 33 | 33 | 30 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 35 | 34 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SE 6 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
545 | 456 | 304 | 299 | 249 | 202 | 326 | 43 | 807 | 629 | 739 | 739 | 729 | 516 | 407 | 407 | 301 | 186 | 178 | 140 | 136 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SSE 6 | SW 14 | W 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SE 7 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | S 9 | SSW 19 |
63 | 43 | 35 | 273 | 264 | 237 | 114 | 162 | 25 | 301 | 17 | 99 | 58 | 49 | 48 | 46 | 23 | 31 | 27 | 40 | 251 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | SSW 7 | SSW 18 | SSE 7 | WNW 10 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | SW 16 | WNW 10 | SE 7 | S 11 | WNW 10 | W 10 | SE 6 | SW 8 | ESE 5 | S 10 | SE 6 | ESE 5 | SE 7 | S 9 |
37 | 27 | 126 | 26 | 21 | 28 | 39 | 258 | 32 | 34 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 20 | 23 | 2 | 47 | 9 | 3 | 23 | 39 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | S 6 | — | — | SW 6 | — | — | SE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 6 | SSW 3 | ESE 6 |
— | — | — | — | 39 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 2 | 10 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 352 | 0 | 0 | 493 | 0 | 0 | 523 | 0 | 0 | 493 | 0 | 0 | 324 | 0 | 10 | 349 | 0 | 0 | 324 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in El-Salvador - Costa del Balsamo | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in El Salvador | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the El Zonte Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for El Zonte provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at El Zonte can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our El Zonte surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (El Zonte) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for El Zonte may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
El Zonte is 13 km (8 miles) from the city of La Libertad. If you plan a holiday in El-Salvador - Costa del Balsamo, look for hotels and other accommodation in La Libertad. La Libertad has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










