La Santa - El Quemao Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s coming up for the Canary Islands.

To be straight with you, this outlook is a tough one. We’re looking at La Santa - El Quemao, a heavy, expert-only reef break, and for the entire 16-day window, the conditions are pretty much locked in a funk. The wind is a persistent problem. For the first week, it’s a brutal mix of moderate to fresh cross-onshore and cross-shore winds, with speeds often hitting 15 to 22 mph, keeping the surface lumpy and choppy. The swell is a mess of short-period, wind-affected waves, with the combined swell energy showing moderate to strong energy, but it’s just not translating into anything rideable. The period is mostly 5 to 7 seconds, which is poor, weak, and won't hold up on a wave this critical.

There’s a tiny window of hope around the 12th and 13th of September. The wind drops to a light breeze, and we even see a brief moment of offshore wind from the NW and WNW. The swell drops right off though, down to 2ft to 3ft, with a mixed period. The energy is weak. It’s marginal at best, and the tide might be a problem. For a spot like El Quemao, anything under 5ft and with that low energy is just not going to break properly. It’s a tease.

The second week gets a little more interesting in terms of swell direction, with some longer period pulses from the NNW and NW coming through on the 19th of September, with a period of 14 to 15 seconds. That’s proper groundswell. But the swell is tiny, only 1ft, and the wind is back onshore from the North at 15 mph, so it’s just a clean-up set that will be blown out.

Honestly, for a paddle surfer, there is nothing on offer here. This setup is more interesting for a kite surfer, as the consistent cross-onshore winds and moderate swell will provide plenty of juice. The short period and consistent wind will keep the paddle waves messy. For a spot that is *consistent* and exposed, it’s rare to see a run this poor. But it happens. The only thing I can say is that the water temp is about average for this time of year, so at least you won’t freeze while you’re waiting for a clean set. This blank run is a real downer, but it’s the hand we’ve been dealt.

Rusty.

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