La Derecha del Cartel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s get into it.

Alright, we’ve got a real mixed bag coming up here at La Derecha del Cartel. The week kicks off with some small, short-period windswell, but it’s not gonna be anything to write home about. The real focus is a window of cleaner, slightly bigger surf that builds through Friday and into the weekend. After that, the ocean goes quiet for a long stretch, so you’ll want to pick your moments carefully.

We’re looking at the first few days, starting Thursday the 23rd. The water temp is sitting at 73°, which is basically bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The swell is small, around 4ft to 5ft from the NE, but with a short period of just 6 seconds. The energy is weak at 140. Thursday morning sees a cross-off S wind, making it a bit messy, but Thursday afternoon the wind drops to glassy calm. That’s a big plus, so if you’re desperate for a slide, you could get a few clean, crumbly walls. The waves are surfable, but you won’t be shouting about them.

Now, Friday the 24th is where it starts to get interesting. The morning is glassy with a light E wind, swell bumps up to 5ft from the NE, still a short period. The energy is building to 193. By Friday afternoon, we get a clean WSW breeze, swell rises to 6ft, and the energy jumps to 237. This is where the forecast says “expect good surf conditions.” The wind is glassy, the waves are a bit more pushy, and the reef should start to groom that short-period energy into something fun. This is a solid option.

Saturday the 25th morning is the standout. The swell is 5ft from the NE, period stretching to 8 seconds, and the energy is up to 284. The wind is a light NW breeze – glassy. This is the best-looking window for a clean, intermediate-level wave. The reef will handle that short period better than a beach break, though it’s still not a long groundswell. Saturday afternoon the swell hits 7ft, but the wind swings onshore from the NW, and the score drops. It’ll be a bit of a mess, so stick to the morning.

Sunday the 26th is a weird one. Morning brings a clean offshore SE breeze at 15 km/h, with the swell dropping to 4ft but the period lengthening to 9 seconds. The energy is still decent at 281. This is a very clean, drifty wave, but the size is down. The afternoon sees the swell collapse to 2ft, so it’s a morning-only session.

From Monday the 27th onward, it’s a long, slow decline. There’s a fleeting bit of 4ft swell on Monday morning with a cross-off wind, but it’s small. By Monday afternoon, the waves are down to 1.0ft, and the energy is just 16. That’s pretty much it for any real surf for the next week and a half.

There’s a long gap of poor-to-flat conditions from the 27th of July all the way through to the 5th of August. A few days in early August show a tiny 1ft to 3ft windswell, but with periods of 5-6 seconds, it’s barely breaking. The energy stays below 100 the whole time. The winds are mostly light and offshore, which is a tease, but there’s just no water moving.

The only other blip is on the 6th of August, Thursday morning. The swell jumps back to 4ft from the NE, but the period is a pathetic 5 seconds, and the energy is a moderate 102. It’s surfable, but the wind is a clean SE breeze. Still, with that period, it’s going to be a short, fat, weak wave. Not a true standout.

So, the real play here is Friday morning through Saturday morning. If you’ve got a window, aim for Friday the 24th afternoon or Saturday the 25th morning. Saturday morning is the best of the lot for clean, chest-high waves with a glassy top. The reef will be your friend, but keep an eye on the crowd – it’s “often” busy here, so get in early.

From the 27th onward, you’re looking at a 10-day stretch of almost nothing. It’s a flat spell for sure. The ocean is just taking a break.

Rusty.

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