La Derecha del Cartel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll level with you – the next week is a bit of a waiting game. There’s surf on the horizon, but for the first eight days or so, it’s mostly small and ordinary. We’ve got a blank run from the start until Wednesday the 12th, where things are tiny and poor. The real story builds late in the second week, with a couple of days that actually get the heart racing.

We’re talking about La Derecha del Cartel. It’s a reef setup, exposed to the swell, and it likes a NW direction. Water temp is sitting around 75°, which is about average for this time of year – no surprises there.

Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th are flat and disappointing. Swell is a pathetic 1ft from the NW with hardly any energy (3-4 combined energy). Winds are glassy to light offshore Monday morning, but the waves just aren’t there. Not worth paddling out.

Wednesday the 12th sees a tiny bump – 1ft to 2ft NW swell, period around 9-10 seconds. The energy picks up a bit (21-48 combined energy) and the wind is offshore. It’s clean but pretty weak. You might get a knee-high dribbler on the sets, but I’d save the wax.

Thursday the 13th stays small and clean, same story – 2ft NW, light offshore. Friday the 14th is glassy but barely a bump. Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th get a bit of a pulse from the NE, with 4ft to 4ft swell, but the period is short (5-6 seconds) and the wind is onshore. It’s messy and weak (104-139 combined energy). Not worth it.

Monday the 17th through to Friday the 21st is a long stretch of minimal surf. Swell drops back to 0.7ft to 1ft, mostly NW, with clean glassy conditions at times, but there’s no push. The combined energy is in the single digits or low twenties.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Saturday the 22nd of August – this is our first standout. Morning sees a NE swell hitting 5ft, period only 6 seconds, but the energy jumps to 173 (moderate). Wind is light offshore from the SE, so it’ll be clean. The wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” so manage expectations – it’s not pumping, but it’s the best we’ve seen in two weeks. The NE direction isn’t ideal for the spot (it prefers NW), but the size and clean wind make it a solid option for a session.

The real standout, though, is Tuesday the 25th of August. Morning delivers a 6ft NE swell, period 6 seconds, and a combined energy of 282 (strong). Wind is light offshore from the SE, clean. The wave comment says “expect good surf conditions.” This is the pick of the whole 16 days. The swell is over 5ft, so it’s getting into intermediate territory – might be a bit punchy for beginners, but for anyone comfortable on a reef, this is the session to circle. The NE direction isn’t optimum, but with that size and clean offshore flow, the wave quality should be there. It’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on it.

Monday the 24th is a warm-up with 4ft to 4ft NE swell, glassy to light offshore, moderate energy (114-138). Decent, but Tuesday is the day.

Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th have periods of zero swell. Friday the 21st and the days after the 25th drop off again, so don’t expect much after that Tuesday morning session.

To sum it up: the first week is a write-off. The 22nd is a hopeful go, but Tuesday the 25th of August is your best bet – head out early for clean, 6ft waves from the NE. There’s a show in the distance.

Stay frothy,
Rusty.

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