Explosivos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s look at what’s on offer at Explosivos, a sandbar set-up that’s exposed to the south-west. We’re covering the next 16 days, starting from the 2nd of August. The water is sitting at 71°, which is a whopping 9° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s very unusual, so you’ll be comfortable in a shorty or even just boardshorts if you’re tough enough.

The first few days are a bit of a grind. Sunday the 2nd has some 5ft swell from the south, but it’s a short 7-second period and the wind is a light cross-onshore. The combined energy is moderate at 430, but the surf is marginal. Monday the 3rd is even worse – poor surf conditions, with the swell dropping to 4ft and then 3ft. Tuesday the 4th stays marginal, with 3ft to 4ft, and the wind stays cross-on. You’d be paddling for scraps.

Wednesday the 5th sees the swell hold around 4ft from the south-west, but the period stretches to 12-13 seconds, which is a bit more organised. The energy climbs to 675-737 (moderate). Still, the cross-onshore wind keeps it bumpy. Thursday the 6th is where things start to get interesting. The swell drops to 3ft, but the period jumps to 17 seconds – that’s a very long period groundswell. The energy is strong at 1030-1050. The wind is cross-shore on Thursday afternoon, which is a bit better, but the surf is still marginal. This long-period swell might be a bit straight for this sandbar, but it’s a hint of what’s coming.

The real standout is on Monday the 10th of August. The swell jumps to 7ft from the south, with a 10-second period, and the combined energy is very strong at 1507. The wind is offshore from the west-south-west in the morning, which is a major positive – it will be clean. However, the swell is over 7ft, so this is only for experienced surfers. It’s a big, powerful day, and the sandbar will be handling some serious juice. Tuesday the 11th is similar, with 8ft swell from the south-south-west at 15 seconds – very long period – and the energy is extremely strong at 2127. The wind is light cross-onshore, but the size and power are the draw. This is the best on offer, but it’s for experts only.

After that, the swell drops back to the 6ft to 6ft range through the middle of the week, with periods around 10-12 seconds. The wind is mostly cross-onshore, so it’s not perfect. The weekend of the 15th and 16th sees the swell dip to 3ft to 5ft, with some longer periods again (14-18 seconds), but the energy stays moderate. It’s a bit of a waiting game.

Overall, the standout is the 10th and 11th of August – big, powerful swell, and on the 10th, offshore wind in the morning. Get on it if you’ve got the skill. The rest of the window is marginal, with bumpy conditions. Crowds are possible at Explosivos, so get there early.

Rusty.

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