Playa Kikitas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. It’s been a tough stretch for waves around here, and I’ll be honest with you – this 16-day window is looking pretty grim. We’ve got a solid run of days with no surf worth paddling out for, so don’t rush to wax up just yet.

We’re looking at a gap that stretches from Saturday, August 8th, all the way through to the end of the forecast period on Sunday, August 23rd. That’s a long, flat spell. The only spot on the radar is Playa Kikitas, a reef break that’s fairly exposed to the north. The water temperature is sitting at 85°, which is about average for the time of year, so no surprise there.

The issue is the wind. We’ve got a persistent cross-shore wind from the ENE, blowing at 19 mph or more, day after day. That’s creating a lumpy, cross-chop mess that makes the waves look like a washing machine. The swell is weak and short-period, mostly from the ENE, with wave heights bouncing between 1 ft and 4 ft in the first week. The combined energy is low, often under 100, and even when it bumps up to 166 for a Saturday morning, the conditions are just too poor to make it worthwhile.

Come around Friday, August 14th, the swell starts to build a bit, hitting 6 ft and the combined energy climbing to 333 (moderate energy). But the wind is still howling at 22 mph, and the quality is still rated as poor. By Saturday, August 15th, we see the biggest push of the window – 8 ft swell from the ENE with a period of 8 seconds and a combined energy of 684 (still moderate). That’s a bit of size, but it’s still cross-shore and lumpy. It’s not clean, it’s not fun, and it’s not what you want on a reef.

The one standout, if you can call it that, is Monday, August 17th. The swell jumps to 10 ft from the east with a 10-second period, and the combined energy hits a whopping 1828 (strong to very strong wave energy). That’s a lot of water moving. But here’s the catch – the wind is cross-onshore, making it choppy and messy. At 10 ft, this is only for experts, and even then, the sloppy conditions mean it’s more of a challenge than a pleasure. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

After that, the swell drops off fast. By Tuesday, August 18th, we’re back to 4 ft and the energy drops to 185, and the wind stays cross-onshore. The rest of the month is a dribble of tiny, weak swells with periods under 8 seconds and energy levels below 100. On Sunday, August 23rd, we see a 3 ft wave with a 6-second period and a combined energy of 90 – weak and forgettable.

Bottom line: there’s no good surf on offer in this 16-day window. The constant strong cross-shore winds and poor quality keep everything locked down. It’s a blank run, and for this area, that’s not unusual. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d say leave the board in the car and go do something else.

Rusty.

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