Playa El Palmar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Looking at the next 16 days for Playa El Palmar, I gotta be straight with you—there isn’t a single day that’s going to have you paddling out with a smile on your face. It’s a flat, gutless stretch ahead, and honestly, the surf just isn’t on offer. We’re talking about a run of tiny, messy waves that’ll barely roll through, and for most of the window, the wind is either cross-onshore or straight onshore, which is doing us no favours at all.

We’ve got a lengthy gap from the start, with nothing worth mentioning through the 17th, 18th, and 19th of August—just knee-high dribble and light, onshore breezes. The water temperature is bang on average for this time of year at 73°F, nothing strange there. The swell energy is weak, with numbers in the single digits to low teens, and it’s all coming from the west and west-northwest, but it’s just not translating into anything rideable.

Moving into the 20th and 21st, we see those tiny 0.7ft to 2ft waves, but again, the wind is on it, and the energy readings are still weak (around 9-19). Same story for the 22nd and 23rd—a little more swell at 2ft to 3ft, but that just means more chop, not better surf. The combined energy creeps up a bit (32-45), but it’s still weak to moderate at best, and the quality is rubbish.

The end of August, specifically the 28th and 29th, is the closest thing we get to a highlight. On the 28th, the wind finally swings offshore from the east, and we see 4ft of west-northwest swell with a moderate energy reading of 59. It’s clean, but it’s still only 5-second period, so it’s gutless and unorganised. Then the 29th kicks up a notch: 4ft swell in the morning with the energy jumping to 128 (moderate), and a strong offshore breeze from the east at 25 mph. That’s the biggest swell of the period, but the wind is howling, making it a battle to get out and pretty challenging for anyone who isn’t experienced. Still, it’s the only time you could say there’s a proper wave on offer. The 30th morning has a similar but smaller setup, with 3ft and offshore winds, but it fades off quickly in the afternoon.

Beyond that, the beginning of September just falls flat again, with 0.7ft to 1ft waves and even some long-period energy showing up (15-20 seconds), but there’s no size behind it, so it’s just drift.

So, my honest take: if you’re a beginner, you’re safe for the whole fortnight. If you’re an expert and desperate, the 29th of August morning is your only real bet, and even then, that offshore wind is strong enough to keep you honest. For most of us, it’s a week and a half of no surf, so maybe find something else to do. This is Rusty, signing off.

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