Playa El Yanqui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s brewing.

Right now, the outlook for Playa El Yanqui is a proper test of patience. We’ve got a long stretch of very marginal surf ahead, with a few windows that’ll be worth dragging your board out for, but don’t expect any fireworks.

The water temp is sittin’ at a warm 84°, right around average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The main pattern is solid offshore wind from the ENE, which keeps the face clean, but the swell size is just too small for most of the run. The first real glimmer of something decent shows up on Monday, August 3rd. We’re looking at a southwest swell around 2ft to 3ft, with a period of 13 seconds—decent groundswell energy there. The combined swell energy is moderate, in the 250-260 range. The wind goes light offshore in the afternoon, glassy enough for a fun, clean session. This is the standout window: gentle offshore and clean lines, but don’t expect much power. It’s a beginner-friendly spot, so that size will be just right for longboards and soft-tops.

Before and after that, the story is pretty much the same: small southwest swells, mostly in the 1ft to 2ft range, with persistent fresh to strong offshore winds. The combined energy drops into the 130-180 range on those days, which is weak. From Thursday, July 30th through Saturday, August 2nd, the surf is poor to marginal—scores are zero or one. Then we get that one good day on the 3rd before it falls back into the doldrums again.

From Tuesday, August 5th right through to Wednesday, August 12th, it’s a real struggle. Swell stays tiny, and winds are consistently fresh offshore—often blowing 18 to 25 mph, which makes paddling hard. There’s a period around Friday, August 7th and Saturday, August 8th where the swell period jumps to 15-18 seconds, bringing a long-period groundswell, but the height is still just 2ft to 3ft. The energy reads 344-417, so moderate, but that long period at a beach break means the waves will be fat and straight. Not ideal for paddle surfing, honestly. The strong wind and clean but weak lines make it look better for kiteboarding than a proper surf session.

There is a small uptick again very late in the period—Thursday, August 13th and Friday, August 14th—with a 3ft to 3ft southwest swell and 16-17 second period, combined energy back into the 449-470 range. The wind remains offshore, but again, that long period at a beach break is a caveat—it’ll break straight and be tricky.

So the one true standout is Monday, August 3rd, when the wind goes light and the waves have just enough shape. The rest of the outlook is a waiting game. This spot is *consistent* in terms of always having some wind and swell, but the quality just isn’t there for most of the run. Forecasts can change, but right now, you’ve got a 6-day gap after the 3rd where it’s barely worth a paddle.

Rusty.

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