Izquierda Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve gotta level with you – the next couple of weeks at Izquierda are looking pretty grim. We’ve got a solid 16-day window, but the first week and a half is essentially a write-off. There’s no surf worth paddling out for until we get to the second Sunday, and even then, it’s just barely a sniff. Let’s break it down.

From Saturday the 5th of September right through to Saturday the 12th, it’s just poor surf day after poor surf day. The wind is howling out of the north and north-northeast, blowing straight onshore at 12 to 19 mph, absolutely trashing any chance of clean waves. The swell is small – mostly 2 ft to 5 ft – but it doesn’t matter because the wind is so strong and onshore. The combined wave energy (85 to 413) is moderate, but it’s all for nothing. Sunday the 13th of September has a tiny glimmer of hope with lighter winds shifting west-northwest at just 3 mph, but the swell is only 4 ft from the north, and the wave comment says it’s “marginal.” The cross-offshore wind on Monday the 14th gives us clean conditions for a moment, but the swell is tiny – 2 ft – and the energy is weak (147). Not worth getting wet for.

Then we hit a dry spell from Tuesday the 15th through to Friday the 18th. The swell drops even further, with heights of 1 ft to 3 ft and weak energy (65 to 134). The wind is still onshore or cross-shore, and it’s just not happening.

The best we’ve got in the whole 16-day run is on the weekend of the 19th and 20th of September. Saturday morning the 19th sees a light west-northwest breeze at 6 mph, creating a cross-shore wind with small ripples. The swell is 3 ft from the north-northeast, with a period of 8 seconds and combined energy of 139 (weak). It’s not pumping, but it’s the cleanest it’s been. The water temp is 75°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – a small comfort. Sunday the 20th is similar, with a light westerly 6 mph cross-shore and the same 3 ft north swell. The crowd factor at Izquierda says “sometimes,” so you might have a few others out, but it won’t be packed.

Overall, this is a tough stretch. The reef at Izquierda is consistent and exposed to the northwest, but the wind just won’t play ball. For the first week, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, given the strong onshore winds. Keep an eye on the forecasts, because it tends not to stay this poor for long, but for now, I’d save your energy.

Rusty.

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