Molino de Papel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m looking at the charts for Molino de Papel over the next couple of weeks, and I gotta be straight with you—it’s looking pretty grim for most of it. We’re talking about a long stretch with barely a ripple. This is a reef break, exposed to swell from the SSW, and it’s usually an inconsistent spot, so a blank run like this isn’t totally out of the ordinary for this area, but it still stings when you’re itching for a wave.

Right off the bat, from the end of August through the first few days of September, it’s flat. Nothin’. Just poor surf conditions. You’ll see a tiny 0.3ft to 1.0ft easterly bump here and there with some glassy mornings, but the swell energy is next to nothing – combined energy values of just 1 to 4. There’s a short gap in there where it’s not even worth paddling out. The water temp is sitting at 69°F for that first check on the 28th, but that’s 4°F colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll be reaching for the thicker rubber if you even bother.

Now, the one faint glimmer in this whole outlook comes on Thursday the 3rd of September. You get a little pulse of 3ft easterly swell, period around 6 seconds, and a combined energy of 74. It’s still a weak to moderate amount of energy, but the morning sees a clean northwesterly cross-off breeze. The wave comment says it’s "surfable but very ordinary," and I’d agree. It’s a passable option if you’re desperate, but it’s not a standout by any stretch.

The real best on offer, the only day I’d really get my hopes up for, is Friday the 4th of September. The morning is looking glassy—zero wind, absolute perfection for conditions. Swell height bumps up to 5ft from the east, with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 267, which is a solid moderate wave energy. That’s the day to make a plan. The waves will have a bit of push, and with glassy conditions, Molino de Papel could actually break cleanly. It’s an intermediate-level wave, so it’s fine for most surfers, but the easterly direction isn’t its absolute optimum, which is a slight knock. Still, for this forecast window, it’s the clear winner. Just be aware the crowds can show up here sometimes, so you won’t be alone.

After that, we drop right back off. Saturday the 5th sees a tiny 2ft east swell with weak energy (20), and then it’s mostly flat or dribbly 0.7ft to 1ft junk for the rest of the second week, right through to the 12th of September. The only other notable moment is the 10th, where a 2ft SW swell shows up in the afternoon, but it’s got a cross-onshore wind and the period is a short 5 seconds, so it’ll be messy and weak.

So, bottom line: sit tight through the flat spell, and if you’ve got one window to go, make it the morning of Friday, September 4th. That’s the one. Every other day, leave the board in the car.

-Rusty

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