Playa El Palmar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m gonna level with you—this stretch ain’t one for the memory banks. Playa El Palmar is looking at a long, quiet run with barely a ripple worth paddling for over the next 16 days. The water’s sitting at 72°F, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there, but the lack of any real energy is the story.

We start off Friday the 7th of August with a tiny 3 ft west swell wrapping in, but it’s got a short, weak period of 6 seconds and the wind is a cross-offshore breeze from the southeast at 6 mph. The combined energy is a pathetic 51, and the wave comment says it all: poor surf conditions. Saturday and Sunday are much the same—small, weak west swells in the 2 ft to 3 ft range, with onshore winds spoiling the shape on the afternoons. The energy stays low, never cracking 60.

Monday the 10th through to Wednesday the 12th keep the same sad tune: ankle-to-knee-high west swell, short period, and mostly onshore or cross-onshore winds. The combined energy hovers in the 30s and 40s—just not enough push to do anything with. Thursday the 13th offers a tiny glimmer: the swell lifts to 2 ft, the period stretches to 9 seconds, and the morning has a clean, cross-offshore breeze from the southeast at 6 mph. The energy bumps to 78, and the surf is described as “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” Even then, it’s barely a 1 out of 10. Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th are similar—clean winds but the swell is tiny, with energy dropping back to the 40s and 60s.

From Sunday the 16th onward, the forecast gets a bit more wind, with westerlies picking up to 12–16 mph, making the already small surf (3 ft–3 ft) look messy and choppy. By the 19th of August, the swell completely fades to 0.7 ft–1.0 ft, and the energy drops into single digits—6, 7, 8—just dead flat. That runs right through to the 22nd.

So, the honest truth? There’s no standout here. The only window that might get you wet is Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th, early mornings, with those clean cross-offshore winds and a little more period. Even then, it’s a longboard or a foiler session at best. For anything with real push, you’d be waiting a long time. This is a blank run, plain and simple. The forecasts can change, but right now, leave the boards in the van.

Rusty.

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