La Derecha del Cartel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for La Derecha del Cartel over the next couple of weeks.

Look, if you’re hanging out for a session here, you’ve got a bit of a wait. There’s no real surf to speak of right at the start. The first action doesn’t kick in until the morning of July 22nd, and even then it’s pretty ordinary. We’ve got a glassy start that morning with a small 4ft NE windswell rolling in, period only 7 seconds, so it’s weak and a bit mushy. Combined swell energy is still low at 129. The wind is light and glassy from the ESE, so the surface will be clean, but the waves themselves aren’t going to have much punch.

We start to see things pick up on Thursday the 23rd. That morning, the swell pushes to 5ft from the NE, period still short at 6 seconds, but the wind turns offshore from the SE at 10 km/h. That’s a solid combination for this spot, and the energy jumps to 209, suggesting moderate wave power. It’s still a windswell, but the conditions will be clean and the sets should start offering some fun, punchier waves. The afternoon sees the swell drop a bit to 4ft, but the wind stays offshore, keeping it rideable.

Friday the 24th is a bit of a mixed bag. The morning is small and glassy at 4ft – not a lot of energy. But the afternoon looks better: 5ft from the NE, glassy conditions with a slight westerly breeze, and the energy climbs back up to 210. That’s a good time to be out, with clean faces and a bit more push.

Saturday the 25th morning is the first time this spot starts to look like a proper standout. The swell hits 6ft from the NE, period up to 7 seconds, and the combined energy is a solid 302. The wind is cross-off from the south, keeping the surface clean. That’s a good size for intermediates, and the offshore wind direction (SE) is a near-perfect match for this reef. The afternoon gets a little bigger at 6ft, but the wind swings onshore from the north, creating some chop, so the morning is definitely the call.

Sunday the 26th is the absolute standout of the whole forecast for this spot. That morning we see 4ft from the NE, but with a much longer period of 9 seconds – that’s groundswell energy. The combined energy is 304, and the wind is a light cross-off. Then the afternoon gets even better: the swell builds to 6ft, still from the NE with that 9-second period, and the wind turns offshore from the SE at 15 km/h. Combined energy rockets to 503, which is strong. This is the best window: clean, offshore, a solid groundswell with punch, and not too big. For intermediates and above, this is the session.

After that, we hit a long dead period. From the 27th all the way through to the morning of August 4th, it’s almost flat. You’ll see tiny 1ft to 1ft waves with almost no energy and poor conditions. There’s a full week of nothing worth paddling out for.

There is a flicker of hope on the 4th of August. The afternoon shows a 5ft NE swell with a 7-second period and an offshore breeze from the SSE. The energy is 205 – moderate. It’s nothing spectacular, but after a week of flatness, it’s at least surfable. The 5th looks similar but a bit smaller.

So to wrap it up: the real standouts here are Saturday the 25th morning and Sunday the 26th. Sunday the 26th afternoon is the pick of the whole run – that groundswell with offshore wind will have La Derecha firing clean, punchy waves. Get on it if you can.
Rusty.

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