Playa El Palmar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a real good look at what’s shaping up for Playa El Palmar over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch ahead. We’ve got a long, quiet period through the end of August and into the first few days of September where the waves just aren’t going to cooperate.

For the first week and a half, from August 24th all the way through to September 4th, we're looking at a dry spell. Most days have the swell under 3ft, with periods that are short and weak. The wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore, keeping things choppy and messy. There’s one little flicker of hope on August 29th when the wind goes offshore from the east, but the swell is barely 2ft – it’s clean, but not worth paddling out for. The combined energy is in the weak range, often below 100, and sometimes as low as single digits. Honestly, it’s a blank run for the area.

Now, the real tease comes on September 7th. We get a sudden pulse of long-period groundswell – 20 seconds! – coming from the west, pushing the combined energy up to 574. That’s a strong wave energy event, but there’s a catch. The swell only reaches about 3ft on Monday morning, and it’s onshore with a light westerly wind. By Monday afternoon, the wind picks up to 12 mph from the west, making it even messier. The period is still long, but the size isn’t there to make it a great wave for the beach break. With that long period, this is the kind of swell that would be better off peeling down a point or reef, but here at Playa El Palmar, it’s likely to dump if it gets any bigger. Later on September 8th, the swell hangs around at 3ft, but the wind stays cross-onshore. It’s a promising signal, but it’s not going to deliver clean surf for us.

If you’re desperate, September 5th Saturday morning offers the most *surfable* conditions in the whole window. The wind goes glassy from the east, and we get 4ft of short-period WNW swell (6 seconds). The combined energy is 121 – moderate. It’s not going to blow your mind, but it’s the best we’ve got. The water temperature is sitting at 72°F, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on most days, with the consistent cross-onshore winds and small, choppy waves. Keep an eye on that September 7th date – it’s a taste of something bigger, but it’s not the one to plan your week around just yet. Forecasts can change, and with a spot that’s fairly consistent, it tends not to stay this poor for long.

Rusty.

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