Escollera Sur (Mar del Plata) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mates, Rusty here. Let's talk about Escollera Sur. It's looking like a tale of two fortnights: a whole lot of waiting, then one hell of a pulse of swell that this spot just might not be able to handle.

The water temp is sitting at 51°F, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year. So, you might not need the thickest suit in the quiver, but it's still far from warm.

The first week is a real grind. The surf is small and the wind is mostly messy. Saturday the 12th is a complete write-off with a lumpy cross-onshore breeze, and it stays pretty average through the weekend. Sunday the 13th has a tiny, clean window in the morning with a light cross-offshore wind and a 4ft swell from the SSE, but it's pretty gutless. From Monday the 14th through to Friday the 19th, we're looking at a whole lot of knee-high slop and not much else. This is a real test of patience. The wind is all over the place, mostly cross or offshore, but there's no energy in the water at all, with the combined swell energy dropping to as low as 14.

We finally see a pulse around Sunday the 20th. The swell jumps a bit to 3ft from the SSE with a long 12-second period, and it's clean, but the energy is still weak (222). It's a tease, really. Monday the 21st brings a bit more size (6ft) but it's coming from the ENE with a poor 7-second period, and the wind is howling from the southwest at 28 mph. That's a messy, cross-shore chop that's doing no one any favors. Honestly, that setup looks like it could be more fun for the kite surfers than us paddle surfers.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. Towards the end of the forecast, starting Tuesday the 22nd, the ocean just wakes up. We're talking a massive swell train. The energy readings are off the charts – from a moderate 1705 on Tuesday morning, it absolutely explodes to a massive 11614 by Wednesday morning. That's strong, very strong wave energy. The size jumps from 10ft to a terrifying 16ft, with a period of 16 seconds. This is a seriously long-period groundswell. The problem? The forecast notes say it's simply too big for this break. The wave comment says it best: "the swell is predicted to be too big for this break." While the wind is favorable (fresh offshore on Wednesday), this is a boatload of energy that will close out and be dangerous. This is strictly for experts, and even then, it's a maybe. It’s a shame, as it’s the most exciting forecast of the period, but it’s just not gonna work here.

After that peak, it settles down quickly. By Thursday the 24th, it's still a hefty 10ft with a 14-second period and offshore wind, but again, it's big and the window is closing. Friday the 25th finally offers the best conditions of the whole run. The swell has settled to a very manageable 5ft from the SE with a nice, long 13-second period, and the wind is light and cross-offshore. The energy is still moderate (728), but it should be clean as a whistle at Escollera Sur. That's the one to circle. After that, the swell fades back into the nothingness, with the energy dropping back below 100 by the weekend of the 27th.

So, here's the deal. If you have to paddle out, your one and only window is Friday the 25th. It’s not huge, but it's clean and has some push. Everything else is either too small, blown out, or just too damn big for this break. It’s a rough one, but that’s the ocean for you.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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