El Sardinero - Primera Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for El Sardinero - Primera over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, the outlook is a tough one. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor surf conditions, with a few isolated windows that might get the heart beating, but don’t get too excited just yet. The overall pattern is flat and messy, with only a couple of days that even come close to being worth a paddle.

The first real chance of anything surfable lands on Monday, July 20th. The morning brings a 5 ft swell from the north with a short period of 7 seconds, giving us moderate wave energy (188). The wind is light and cross-offshore from the WNW, which will keep the surface clean. It’s not going to be a world beater, but it’s the best we’ve seen by that point. The afternoon sees a bigger 5 ft north swell, but the onshore wind from the NE ruins it, so forget the arvo.

After that, we drop back into the doldrums. Tuesday through to the end of July is a write-off. The swell is tiny, wind is mostly onshore, and the water is a very unusual 73°F, which is much warmer than normal for here. The waves are either too small, too short period, or blown out. The combined energy barely gets above 100, and most days it’s down in the 30s and 50s. Zero quality.

The one standout that might save the trip is Wednesday, July 29th. That morning, the stars align. The swell is 4 ft from the NNW with a period of 11 seconds, giving us a solid 456 combined energy. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the west, making it clean. The report even says "expect good surf conditions". This is the window. The swell direction is a bit north of the optimum, but with that period and clean wind, it’s the best on offer. The afternoon gets blown out by onshore NE wind, so be on it early.

The rest of the last week is small, weak, and mostly onshore. A few small pulses from the NNW in early August might give you a knee-high wave, but honestly, the wind is never right. The 3 ft swell on Sunday, August 2nd has a short period and light cross-shore wind, but it's still not a recommendation.

That’s it. One solid morning on the 29th of July, and a few ordinary days beforehand. The water is weirdly warm, but the surf is not. If you’re a kite surfer, the strong cross-off winds on the 26th and 27th of July might look interesting with 4 ft to 4 ft of wind swell, but for paddle surfing, it’s a no-go.

Stay patient, and don't leave your board on the roof for the long gaps.

Rusty.

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