Hierro Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. The forecast for this stretch of coast is a bit of a tough one, I’m not gonna lie. We’ve got a solid reef break on the cards, but the wind is going to be a real pain for most of the coming days.

Right now, we’re looking at Hierro. This is an expert-only reef break and it’s consistent, but it’s all about the wind. The swell is coming from the NNE, which is not the ideal direction for this spot. The water temperature is sitting at 73°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you might get away with a thinner suit.

For the first week, from Saturday the 18th of July right through to Friday the 24th, it’s a write-off. We’ve got a fresh NNE breeze blowing 19 mph, making it cross-onshore and lumpy. The swell is running between 4 ft and 5 ft, with a short period of 6 to 8 seconds, so it’s weak and messy. The combined swell energy is in the low to mid hundreds (116 to 304), which tells you there’s no real punch. Honestly, it’s poor surf conditions.

The weekend of the 25th and 26th of July doesn’t get any better. The swell picks up a bit to 6 ft, and the combined energy jumps into the high hundreds (481 to 854), but that wind is still howling from the NNE at 19 mph. The period is still only 8 to 9 seconds, so it’s all wind-slop. Still poor.

Now, here’s something to watch. Monday the 27th of July sees the swell jump to 8 ft, and the combined energy hits 863, but the wind is still cross-onshore from the NNE at 12 mph. That’s some serious size for a reef, but it’s going to be a washing machine out there. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it’s going to be a grind.

Then, on Tuesday the 28th of July, we get a slight shift. The wind goes onshore from the NNW at a lighter 9 mph, and the swell is still a solid 7 ft from the NNE with a 9-second period. The combined energy is 767. It’s still a heavy, powerful wave, but the lighter wind is a small improvement. The forecast calls it marginal, and that’s about right. It’s the only window that might be worth a look for a true expert, but it’s not pretty.

The rest of the outlook through to the 2nd of August is more of the same. The wind keeps swinging between onshore and cross-onshore, from the NW and N, with the swell dropping back to 5 ft to 6 ft. The combined energy stays in the 280 to 533 range. The period stays short, 8 to 9 seconds. It’s a long stretch of poor conditions.

If you’re a kite surfer, this might all look more interesting than it does for a paddle surfer, because the wind is consistent and strong. But for a wave rider, there’s really only one day that even flirts with being surfable, and that’s the Tuesday the 28th of July, and even then it’s a gamble.

Rusty.

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