Jalama Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with the outlook for Jalama. Let’s be straight with you – this is a tricky stretch ahead. The models are showing a lot of swell, but the wind and the conditions are going to keep things from being truly epic for the next week and a half.

The main issue is the wind. It’s going to be blowing from the NW and NNW pretty much the whole time, which is a cross or cross-offshore breeze here. The problem is that the swell is coming from the same direction, so the wind is mostly on it, creating a messy, cross-chop texture. It’s going to be bumpy and not that clean.

We start off with small, weak swell on Sunday the 23rd of August. Waves around 5 ft with a short period of 7 seconds are just not going to have any punch. The combined energy is weak, around 497, and with a cross-shore wind, it’s a bit of a washout. The water temp is 62°, which is about average for this time of year.

The pattern doesn’t change much. It’s a long stretch of "marginal" forecasts. The swell does build, hitting 6 ft by Wednesday the 26th of August, with combined energy climbing to 817. But the cross-shore chop keeps ruining the surface. It’s not until the 27th of August we start to see those afternoon cross-offshore winds clean things up a bit. On Thursday afternoon the 27th, we get a clean 7 ft swell from the NW, but it’s still a bit of a grinder.

The real size comes in over the weekend and into the start of September. On Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th of August, the swell is pushing 8 ft to 8 ft, with strong combined energy of 1393. Still, the morning winds are cross and lumpy. The afternoons are cleaner with the cross-off, but that’s big, powerful wave for Jalama. Over 8 ft, and with a short period of 8 seconds, this is expert territory. The afternoon of the 29th is about the best of the first week.

The second week into September has a similar story. The swell stays solid, with the afternoon of the 4th of September really standing out. We get a clean 8 ft NW swell with a combined energy of 1697. That’s a lot of water moving, and it’s going to be heavy. This is a standout for the whole outlook, but only for the experienced crew. The morning of the 5th of September has a smaller, longer-period SSW swell of 4 ft at 16 seconds, which is a different animal, but it’s a cross-shore wind again.

The final record on the 7th of September is a bit of a downer. Solid 6 ft swell from the south at 14 seconds, but a fresh cross-shore wind of 22 mph is going to make it a real mess. That setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, honestly.

So, the standout is the afternoon of Friday the 4th of September. Clean conditions, 8 ft NW swell, massive energy. If you’re an expert and you’re patient, that’s the one to aim for. The afternoon of Saturday the 29th of August is the other one, but it’s a bit smaller. For the rest of it, it’s a lot of waiting for the wind to drop.

Rusty.

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