Playa Pantaleta Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I've been staring at the charts for Playa Pantaleta. Let me tell you what I’m seeing.

Honestly, this is a tough stretch for the next couple of weeks. The waves are going to be on the small side, and the wind just doesn't want to cooperate. The water temp is sitting at 81°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so at least you won't need a steamer.

We are looking at a pretty grim run for the first week. The swell is mostly small, around 3 ft to 4 ft, and it's coming from the NE or ENE. The problem is the wind. It’s blowing from the E or ENE pretty consistently, putting a cross-chop on the surface. It's not going to be clean. There are a couple of mornings, like Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th, where it goes glassy, and the combined swell energy is weak (58 to 71), but the swell period is short at 6 to 7 seconds, so the waves will be pretty weak and gutless. It’s surfable, but very ordinary.

The energy does pick up a bit around Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th, with combined swell energy jumping into the moderate range (225 and 209). Swell height hits 4 ft to 5 ft, but that ENE wind is still a problem, mushing things up. The period is still only 7 to 8 seconds, so it's not going to have any punch.

Now, if you are a masochist or just desperate for a paddle, Sunday the 6th of September morning could be your best bet. The wind swings around to the SE at just 5 km/h, which is a light offshore for this break. The swell is 4 ft from the ENE with a combined energy of 160. It'll be clean. But honestly, it's still not a great wave. For a break that is a beach and reef setup, a longer-period swell would be better, but we’re stuck with a short period here.

The biggest pulse we see comes right at the end of the run, on Monday the 31st of August and Tuesday the 1st of September. Swell heights get up to 6 ft to 6 ft, with combined swell energy hitting 330 and 361. That is moderate to strong energy. But the swell period is still only 8 seconds, so it's a windswell, not a proper groundswell. The wind is still cross-shore. For a spot like Playa Pantaleta, that kind of size with cross-shore wind and a short period is not going to be pretty. It might even be more interesting for the kite surfers than for us.

There's no standout session in this forecast, no day where everything clicks. The best chance for a clean wave is that Sunday the 6th of September morning, but it's a long way out and the wave quality is still just "ordinary." If you’re desperate, you might get something on the 31st or 1st, but don't expect perfection.

Stay patient, and keep an eye on the charts.

Rusty

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