Playa El Palmar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what we’ve got coming up for Playa El Palmar. I’ll be straight with you – this isn’t exactly a classic stretch of days. We’ve got a solid 16-day window, but the first real chance of anything decent doesn’t pop up until a bit further out.

The pattern starts slow. From Tuesday the 11th through the entire rest of August, the wave energy is weak and the conditions are, to be honest, pretty ordinary. The combined swell energy is mostly under 100 (weak), with just a brief lift on Thursday the 13th morning and afternoon to 60. The swell heights are small, generally between 1.0 ft and 3 ft, and the periods are short, often under 9 seconds. This isn’t the kind of surf that gets you out of bed early. There’s a long gap with no real recommendations through the middle of the month. The wind does swing offshore from the east a few times – Wednesday the 12th morning is clean with a 2 ft west swell and 3 mph offshore breeze, and Thursday the 13th morning has a 2 ft west swell with a cross-offshore. But even then, the conditions are only described as “surfable but very ordinary.”

The standout in the whole outlook arrives on Wednesday the 26th of August. That morning, the swell finally shows some life, bumping up to 5 ft from the northwest with a period of 6 seconds and the combined energy hitting a moderate 124. But here’s the catch – the wind is onshore from the WNW at 12 mph. Given it’s a beach-and-sandbar setup, that onshore breeze is likely to chop things up. For a paddler, it’s a tough call. Honestly, with that wind and the swell direction, this setup starts looking more interesting for the kite crew than for a traditional surf session. The afternoon drops off to 4 ft from the WNW, still with an onshore wind.

Water temp at the start is sitting at 74°, which is 0.5° above normal – so pretty average for this time of year, nothing wild.

That Wednesday the 26th is the only real spike in size, but the wind just doesn’t cooperate. It’s a case of "what could have been." For the rest of the run, you’re better off waiting for a change in the forecast.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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