El Sardinero - Primera Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – the outlook for El Sardinero - Primera over the next 16 days is a tough one. We’ve got a long stretch of poor surf conditions ahead, with the first real glimmer of anything rideable not arriving until the second week.

The forecast kicks off on July 4th and from the get-go it’s grim. The swell is tiny, mostly around 1.0ft to 2ft, and the wind is blowing onshore or cross-onshore from the ENE through to July 6th, making a mess of any potential waves. The combined swell energy is low, never breaking 163 for the first few days, and it just doesn't have any push. Water temp is sitting at 71°F, which is a hefty 5°F warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s pretty unusual for us, but it won’t make the waves any better.

The surf stays flat and weak through the first week. From July 7th to the 9th, we get some glassy mornings with light WNW winds, but the swell has dropped even further, to just 1.0ft. You’ll see clean, flat water, but nothing to surf. A bit of a tease, really. This dead period drags on through July 11th, with hardly any energy in the water.

Now, we finally get a tiny pulse of life on Saturday July 12th. The morning shows a bit of a lift with 3ft swell from the NW, period a weak 8 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 165. It’s still listed as poor surf conditions, but the wind is light cross-shore, so it might look a little better than the previous days. The afternoon holds at 3ft from the NNW with a 9-second period and energy at 193. That’s the best we see in the entire 16-day window, but honestly, it’s small and weak, and the wind turns a bit cross.

Then we slip back into mediocrity. On Monday July 13th morning, we get the first “surfable but very ordinary” conditions. Swell is 3ft from the NNW with a short 7-second period, energy at 141. Winds are cross-offshore and light, so it will be clean, but the waves are weak and fat. This is about as good as it gets, which isn't saying much. A similar story repeats on Tuesday July 14th morning.

Look, there’s no standout here. The only break in the whole region is El Sardinero - Primera, and it’s a sheltered spot that needs the right angle. The optimum swell direction is from the N, but most of what we get is NW or NNW. The small size – never over 3ft – means it’s not dangerous, just frustrating. For anyone wanting to paddle, this is a long, flat run. Honestly, with the persistent onshore winds and weak, short-period swell, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on most days. Enjoy the glassy mornings for a swim.

Rusty.

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