La Derecha del Cartel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s on offer. The 16-day window starts with a bit of a flat spell, nothing worth paddling out for on the first couple of days. We’re looking at a slow start, but the juice starts to build from Sunday the 20th.

First real action pops up Sunday afternoon, 20 July, at La Derecha del Cartel. It’s a reef break, exposed to the swell, and the direction is a bit of a mix, but the wind goes glassy from the SE. Swell comes in at 4ft from the NE, with a period of 7 seconds, and the combined energy is moderate at 118. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about – just getting the joints moving.

Monday the 21st is where it starts to get interesting. Morning glassy conditions with the wind from the ENE, and the swell bumps up to 5ft from the NE, period 7 seconds. The energy is solid at 212, and the waves are clean, with offshore winds in the afternoon. This is a solid choice for an intermediate surfer; the reef will handle the NE swell nicely. Water temp is 74°, about average for the time of year, so no need for a steamer.

The standout window is Monday the 27th of July. Afternoon session at La Derecha del Cartel is the pick of the entire forecast. The swell jumps to 7ft from the NE, period 9 seconds, and the energy is pumping at 759. That’s strong energy, and with the wind going glassy from the NW, you’ve got clean, powerful lines. The reef is going to push up some proper ramps. This is one for the experts, though – 7ft on a reef can get heavy. The crowd is often there, so expect company.

The rest of the period is a mix. Tuesday the 22nd has a glassy morning with 5ft NE swell, but the period is a bit short. Thursday the 24th afternoon has a clean 6ft NE swell at 245 energy, but again, short period. The second week gets a bit messy – Saturday the 26th has some size (7ft) but the wind is cross-on, making it pretty average. The 29th of July morning has 5ft NE with glassy conditions, and the 30th morning has 6ft NE with clean offshore winds, both decent but not standouts.

After that, it fades into tiny, poor conditions from the 31st of July through to the 2nd of August. A few days of flat, knee-high dribble. Certainly not worth a dedicated trip, but if you’re local, you know the drill.

The real call is Monday the 27th of July, afternoon. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. Glassy, powerful, and full of energy. Just be ready for a crowd.

Rusty

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