La Derecha del Cartel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a serious look at what's on the cards for La Derecha del Cartel over the next couple of weeks. We've got a long stretch of tiny, flat days to start, but there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

First up, the water temp is sitting at 74° – that's about average for mid-July, nothing to write home about, just standard warm-season stuff. As for the swell, the next few days are a write-off for any real surfing. From Tuesday the 14th right through to the morning of Friday the 17th, we're talking nothing but ankle-biters. Just a whole lot of 1.0ft to 1ft slop with very weak combined swell energy (22 at best), so don't even bother.

Friday the 17th afternoon goes completely flat. Saturday the 18th morning sees a little bump of 5ft from the NE, but the combined energy is still moderate (166) and the quality is just "ordinary." It's surfable, but don't get your hopes up. Sunday the 19th is more of the same with 4ft NE swell.

Now, the first real standout. Monday the 20th morning. That's the one to circle. The swell bumps up to 5ft from the NE, and the combined energy kicks into strong territory at 204. The wind is predicted to be glassy out of the ESE, which is absolutely perfect. This will give us the cleanest conditions we've seen in the whole forecast. The swell is a touch on the bigger side but still manageable for most.

After that, it drops back down into the doldrums from Tuesday the 21st through the end of the week. We get a few knee-high scraps, but nothing worth paddling out for until...

The next promising window starts on Sunday the 26th. The swell direction swings to the NW, and while the height is still just 1ft, the period jumps up to 12 seconds. That's a proper long-period groundswell, giving it surprising shape and energy for its size, even if the combined energy (52) is still weak. The wind is offshore and clean, so this is a sneaky good session for a bigger board.

But the real action, the heavy hitter, kicks off on Tuesday the 28th of July. We get a solid 5ft from the NE with an 8-second period, and the combined swell energy is a full-on 294 – that's strong, proper surf. Morning conditions look clean with an offshore breeze. This is a day for experienced surfers only, as that size along with the power will push things beyond beginner territory. Wednesday the 29th holds similar size and energy (282), with a moderate offshore wind in the afternoon cleaning things up nicely. This late-July window is the best on offer, but remember it's still a long-range call, so keep an eye on it.

Stay tuned,
Rusty

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