La Santa - El Quemao Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at the upcoming swell window for La Santa - El Quemao. It’s a bit of a rollercoaster for this reef, so let’s get into it.

Right out of the gate, we’re looking at a run of pretty ordinary conditions. Starting Thursday the 10th, and all the way through to Saturday the 21st of September, it’s a long stretch of poor surf. The wind is mostly a stubborn cross to cross-onshore from the north, and the swell is short-period, messy stuff. The energy is moderate, but it’s just not coming together. It’s a real dry spell – about 12 days where you wouldn’t want to paddle out. For an expert reef like this, that’s a tough run.

Now, there’s a flicker of hope on Sunday afternoon the 13th. The wind goes glassy, dead calm, and while the swell is small at 4ft from the north, it’s clean. The energy is moderate at 238. It’s a brief window, but for a spot like Quemao, glass is always a gift.

But hold on to your boards. Tuesday the 22nd of September is the one to circle on the calendar. The swell jumps up, with a huge slug of energy – 1170 in the morning and 1365 in the afternoon. That’s serious power. We’re looking at a 4ft to 7ft mix, but the key is a long-period, 14-second groundswell from the NNW. That’s the kind of pulse that makes this reef come alive with deep, heavy barrels. The wind is light and cross-shore, so the surface won’t be glassy, but it won’t be a total mess either. For any experienced surfer, and I mean only experts should even look at this when it gets over 8ft, this is your standout window. The wave energy is very strong, and that long period will set up some proper, heaving lines. It’s still a week and a half out, so treat it as promising but not locked in. The northern wind swell that follows on Wednesday the 23rd will still have size around 6ft to 7ft, but the period drops off and the wind turns more onshore, so the quality will be much lower.

So, to sum it up: you’re waiting a long time. Don’t bother with the first 12 days. The only real highlight is Sunday afternoon the 13th for a clean, small session, but the big standouts are Tuesday the 22nd and maybe the morning of Wednesday the 23rd. That’s when Quemao will show its teeth, but only for the brave.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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