La Derecha del Cartel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty.

Honestly, for the next week or so, we're lookin' at a pretty flat, sad story. There's barely a ripple worth paddlin' for from now until around the middle of next week. It’s one of those quiet spells where the ocean just rolls over and goes back to sleep. From Wednesday the 8th all the way through to Saturday the 18th, there's not a single session here that gets the heart racing. You’d be better off waxing the longboard and just chattin' on the beach.

The first real sign of life shows up Saturday the 18th afternoon at La Derecha del Cartel. It's a reef setup and it loves a NW swell, but this little bump is actually coming from the NE. The swell height bumps up to 5 ft with a short period of 7 seconds, and the combined energy hits moderate at 253. What makes this one stand out is the wind – glassy, with the slightest air moving, so it should be smooth as a mirror. The waves will be a bit weak and wobbly thanks to that short period, and since it's a reef, that short period energy won't wrap in as nice as a long groundswell would. Still, it’s the first real window of clean, rideable surf. Expect crowds to be an issue there – it says 'often' busy, so you'll have company.

Sunday the 19th afternoon keeps the hope alive. Same break, 5 ft again from the NE, but this time the winds are clean offshore from the ESE at 6 mph. That’s a beautiful combo for a reef. The energy is up at 288, so it’ll have a little more push than the day before. The period is still short at 7 seconds though, so it’ll be a bit crumbly and not holding its shape too well. It's rideable, but don't expect perfection.

Now, if you’ve got patience, the real standout is lookin’ like Thursday the 23rd morning. This is a long way off, so treat it as a promising whisper for now, but the signs are good. Swell jumps to 7 ft from the NE, period barely moves to 7 seconds, but the wave energy is strong at 439. Winds are glassy from the ESE at 3 mph, which is just about as good as it gets for clean conditions. 7 ft on a reef is solid and clean – that’s the pick of the whole 16 days. It’s a little on the bigger side for beginners, but for anyone with a bit of experience, it’s gonna be worth the wait.

Water temp is sitting around average for the time of year, nothing weird there.

For the rest, the whole run is mostly tiny junk. Poor surf, weak energy, and a lot of flat days. Don't hold your breath until that Saturday the 18th rolls around.

Rusty.

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