La Chocolatera Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m lookin’ at the charts for the next stretch, and I gotta be straight with you – it’s gonna be a tough wait for the real good stuff. We’re talkin’ about La Chocolatera (Ecuador), and for the first week or so, it’s pretty much a write-off.

From Thursday the 20th of August right through to the morning of Friday the 28th, we’re dealing with a whole lot of nothin’. Swell is tiny, mostly under 3 feet, and the wind is all wrong – cross-onshore or onshore pretty much the whole time, just messin’ up any chance of a clean face. The water is cooking at 78°, which is a solid 9° warmer than normal for this time of year, so it’s like bathwater out there, but the surf is just flat and choppy. You’ll be looking at a gap of 8 days with no real recommendations.

Then, finally, on Friday the 28th of August, things start to wake up. The morning brings a jump in swell to 5 ft from the SW with a long 18-second period, and the wind is light and onshore. The combined energy jumps to 1207 (moderate to strong). By the afternoon, it’s pushing 6 ft SW swell on that same 18-second period, energy hitting 1950 (strong). This is a big, long-period groundswell, and for a point break like La Chocolatera, that’s the ticket – it’ll wrap in and set up proper lines. The wind is still a bit messy cross-onshore in the arvo, but that morning light breeze is the moment to be in the water. This is your standout. It’s not for beginners – 6 ft with that power is a step up.

Saturday the 29th keeps the energy going, with 6 ft SW swell in the morning, period dropping to 16 seconds, but still packing 1412 energy. Winds are light and onshore again, which is a huge plus. The waves will be solid, lined up, and clean. The afternoon takes a slight dip in quality but still has size.

Sunday the 30th backs off a touch, but 5 ft SW swell with a 14-second period and 895 energy is still a fun day, especially with light onshore winds in the morning. The water is still that warm anomaly.

After that, it slowly fades. Monday the 31st has 4 ft, Tuesday the 1st of September has 4 ft, and by Wednesday the 2nd it’s back to 3 ft. The energy drops, and the wind starts to get more cross-onshore in the afternoons again. The last few days into the 4th of September have some 4 ft to 4 ft SW swell coming back, but the wind is onshore or moderate, so it’s marginal.

So, the real stand-out window is the morning of the 28th and the 29th of August. The swell is pumping, the period is long, and the wind is light. That’s your window. It’s a point break, so it’ll handle that long period swell well. Expect some crowds though – it’s a spot that knows when it’s good.

Rusty.

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