Playa El Palmar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what the ocean's got cookin' for Playa El Palmar over the next couple of weeks, yeah?

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with ya – it's a rough stretch. This is one of those times where the ocean just doesn't want to play ball. We're looking at a solid 16-day window, and honestly, the surf is going to be pretty flat and uninspiring for the vast majority of it. There are no standout days, no "drop everything and go" sessions here. It's a long, quiet run.

For the first week, from Tuesday the 25th of August right through to Monday the 1st of September, it's mostly small, weak, and messy. We've got a bit of wind, usually onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell is tiny – think mostly around 1 ft to 2 ft. The combined swell energy is low, barely breaking 100 (104) on the 25th, but the wind is all wrong, blowing straight onshore or cross-onshore, making it a choppy, lumpy mess. That Friday afternoon the 28th, the energy jumps to 312, but it's still a poor 4 ft on a short 10-second period with a 19 mph cross-onshore wind. That wind is just gonna tear it apart. For a beginner, it's not even worth the paddle, but for the rest of us, it's just frustrating. The setup here is a sandbar, and with that kind of wind and small, weak swell, it's honestly looking more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.

Now, there's a little glimmer of hope towards the end of the first week. On Saturday the 29th of August, we finally get a break in the wind. The morning delivers a gentle offshore breeze from the east at 9 mph, cleaning up that tiny 2 ft, 6-second swell. Then, in the afternoon, it goes glassy – dead calm, 3 mph from the east. You could have a session on a 2 ft wave in those conditions. The water temp is sitting at a pleasant 73°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The crowd factor here says "often", so expect some company even when it's small; the local crew will know about these rare clean moments. Sunday morning the 30th is also worth a look – clean again with a gentle offshore.

The second week, from the 1st of September onward, continues the story of small, weak surf. There are a few more offshore wind windows – Wednesday the 2nd has a moderate offshore, and Thursday the 3rd has a light offshore – but the swell just isn't there to back it up. We're talking 1 ft to 3 ft of short-period W/NW swell. The combined energy barely registers – a high of 38 on the 1st, 29 on the 2nd. It's clean and tiny. Then it just fades away completely. By the 6th of September, the swell energy drops to a pathetic 3. The 7th and 8th see some glassy conditions again, but on waves that are 0.7 ft to 1 ft high. It's a lake.

So, the honest verdict? This 16-day outlook is a write-off for any decent surf. There are no standouts. The only "best on offer" would be those two windows on Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th of August, where it's clean on a tiny wave. It's not good surf, but it's the only surf that won't be a complete battle against the wind. If you're a beginner, you might get a few soft, clean rollers in the morning on those days. For everyone else, I'd be looking for another hobby for the next two weeks because the ocean here is just taking a long nap. Forecasts can change, but right now, it's a blank run.

Rusty.

Read more