La Derecha del Cartel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. Everyone’s talkin’ about La Derecha del Cartel right now, but honestly, it’s a tough run for the next couple of weeks. This reef is pretty exposed to the swell, but the whole period is dominated by weak, short-period energy that’s just not doin’ much. The water temp is sitting at 73°, pretty much normal for this time of year, so no wetsuit drama there.

Right now, through Sunday the 2nd, you’re lookin’ at tiny waves – barely 3 ft on Sunday morning with a 5-second period from the NE, combined energy of just 60, so it’s flat and weak. Winds are offshore from the NW, but there’s no power to work with. Monday the 3rd is similar – a bit of glass in the afternoon but the swell is only 1 ft. You’d be better off stayin’ home.

Tuesday the 4th and Wednesday the 5th are still flat, with clean, glassy conditions but no real swell to speak of. Thursday the 6th finally sees a little bump – 4 ft from the NE, 6-second period, combined energy of 148 – but it’s still very ordinary. The wind is offshore, so it’s clean, but the waves are weak and short. That continues through Friday the 7th and into Saturday the 8th, with the same 4 ft NE windswell, but nothing to get excited about. Sunday the 9th drops back to almost nothing.

Now, there’s a gap from Sunday night through most of Monday the 10th where the swell flatlines completely – zero energy. Not a ripple. Tuesday the 11th sees a slight return of the same NE windswell, 4 ft, but still weak. Wednesday the 12th picks up a little – 5 ft in the morning, 5 ft in the afternoon, combined energy up to 186, but still short-period and messy.

The real standout comes Thursday the 13th of August. Finally, a proper little pulse. The swell hits 6 ft from the NE, 6-second period, but the combined energy jumps to 282 – that’s moderate, at least. The wind is glassy in the morning, with a slight breeze in the afternoon. That’s the best window of the whole forecast. The waves are big enough for an intermediate surfer but not too heavy – just a solid, fun reef day. The direction is NE, which is not the optimum NW for this spot, but with those clean conditions, it’ll still work.

Friday the 14th holds up okay – 5 ft to 5 ft, NE, clean offshore winds – but the energy is a bit lower. Saturday the 15th drops off again, and Sunday the 16th sees a late afternoon glassy pulse of 5 ft with 245 energy, which is worth a look if you’re patient. Monday the 17th is a write-off – cross-onshore winds and poor conditions.

Overall, if you’re gonna paddle out, make it Thursday the 13th and maybe Sunday the 16th afternoon. The rest is pretty flat or weak. This is a reef break that needs a proper groundswell from the NW – right now we’re just gettin’ scraps. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s a quiet stretch.

Rusty

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