Playa Poniente Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk about Playa Poniente. I’ve been pouring over the numbers, and it’s a total flat spell for the next 16 days. The swell window is just quiet, and the energy is weak. We’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, poor-quality surf.

The water is sitting at 85°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a bit of a novelty.

We kick off on Tuesday, August 18th. The swell is a tiny 1 ft out of the ESE, with a period of only 5 seconds. That’s pure wind chop. Combined energy is a paltry 9, and the wind is a light cross-shore. It’s not surfable. Wednesday the 19th is even smaller, with 1.0 ft to 1 ft and periods dropping to 3-4 seconds. The energy is down to 6. There’s a moment of clean conditions on Thursday morning the 20th with a gentle offshore wind, but there’s literally no swell at all—zero energy. The rest of that week is a blur of tiny, short-period bumps with cross-shore breezes, never getting above 2 ft and a combined energy of 41. It’s all poor.

The weekend of the 23rd and 24th offers some glassy mornings, but the swell is still only 1 ft to 2 ft. The energy does tick up to 32 on Monday the 24th, but it’s still not enough to get a proper wave. The 26th of August is the closest we get to something surfable. The morning shows 3 ft from the ESE with a period of 7 seconds, combined energy of 51, and a light cross-offshore wind. The report says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” and that’s the best it gets. The rest of the window is a write-off: tiny, short-period swells, weak energy, and mostly onshore or cross-shore winds. The combined energy drops back to single digits on the 2nd of September.

Honestly, for a beginner, this is a flat spell. For anyone else, there’s nothing to chase. The setup is a beach and reef, but with no swell and messy wind, it’s a solid week and a half of rest. Forecasts can change, but right now, the only thing on offer is a very quiet paddle.

Rusty.

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