Playa Pantaleta Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let me tell you about the outlook for Playa Pantaleta. It’s not looking like a classic run of surf, but we’ve got a few moments that might be worth a look.

Right now, on Sunday the 26th of July, there’s a small pulse of swell. We’re seeing waves around 3 ft from the NE with a short period of 7 seconds. The combined wave energy is weak, sitting at only 75, so don’t expect any grunt. The wind is a light ESE breeze, 6 mph, which is giving us a clean surface. The water temp is a comfortable 80°, which is pretty much average for this time of year, so no surprises there. It’s surfable, but honestly, it’s very ordinary.

The real story here is the wind. It’s going to be cross-shore or cross-off for the entire 16-day window. That means the waves are never going to be truly glassy or offshore. We do see a bit of a bump in size starting Thursday the 30th of July, with swell heights hitting 5 ft to 5 ft from the ENE, and the period stretching to 8 seconds. The combined energy jumps into the moderate range (250 to 306). That’s the biggest energy we see, but the wind is still a cross-shore breeze of 9 to 12 mph, which will put a bit of a cross-chop on the surface. That’s not ideal for a smooth ride.

This is a beach and reef setup that’s exposed to the swell. The optimum swell direction is from the NNE, but we’re getting it mostly from the ENE, so it’s a little off-angle. The break is fairly consistent, so you can count on waves, but the quality is the issue. Because of the persistent cross-shore wind and the short period swell (mostly 6 to 8 seconds), the waves are going to be a bit bumpy and lack that real push. For a beginner, the 5 ft to 5 ft days on the 30th and 31st might be a bit too much, and the conditions aren’t clean enough to make it easy.

If I had to pick a standout, it would be the early morning of Sunday the 26th. The swell is small, but the light cross-offshore wind from the ESE makes the surface clean. For a shortboard or a log, you could get a few fun little ones. The other slim pick is the morning of Friday the 31st of July. The swell is 5 ft with a period of 8 seconds, and the energy is strong (277). The wind is still cross-shore, but it’s a gentler 9 mph, so the chop will be less severe than the days before. It’s the best of a bad bunch.

After that, the rest of the forecast is a long stretch of marginal to poor conditions. The swell stays between 4 ft and 5 ft, but the wind is a constant 9 to 12 mph cross-shore, keeping the surface messy. It’s a flat run for the first week of August without any real highlights. There’s a gap of several days where the conditions are just not worth paddling out for.

Overall, it’s a tough outlook. The surf is there, but the wind is working against us. If you’re desperate, the 26th morning is your best bet for something clean but small. For the rest, it’s more of a cross-shore battle than a classic surf session.

Rusty.

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