El Sardinero - Primera Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s see what we’ve got here. To be honest, this run of weather ain’t doing us any favours. The first few days are a write-off – poor surf, bumpy, and just not worth paddling out for. It’s not until the end of the month that we start seeing something worth getting excited about.

The water temperature at El Sardinero - Primera is sitting at 72°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. Nothing extreme, just a little extra warmth in the water.

Now, through the first week – Tuesday 25th through Thursday 27th – it’s flat and messy. Tiny swell, mostly under 3 ft, with a short period around 5-8 seconds and light to moderate winds. The energy is pathetic, with values barely cracking 78 (weak). Friday morning the 28th sees a bump to 5 ft from the NW, but the wind is cross-off and the combined energy jumps to 298 (moderate). Still, the conditions are described as “ordinary” – not terrible, but nothing to phone a mate about.

Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th bring some glassy mornings, with the swell holding around 4 ft to 4 ft from the NW, period around 8-9 seconds. The combined energy is in the 200s (moderate). The wind is light glassy early, which is a major positive – clean, smooth, no chop. These are the better windows in the first week, but the waves are still very ordinary. Saturday morning, with that 4 ft NW swell and glassy conditions, is probably the pick of the early days, but it’s not a standout.

Monday 31st August is where things get interesting. The morning sees a 5 ft NW swell, period 9 seconds, combined energy hitting 429 (strong), and light cross-off winds. The guidance says “expect good surf conditions” – this is the first real quality window. Clean, decent size, solid energy. The afternoon gets choppy again, but the morning is worth a look.

Then we hit a bit of a lull from Tuesday 1st September through Thursday 3rd, with swell dropping back to 3 ft to 4 ft, and onshore or cross-shore winds. Not great. Friday 4th September morning has a glassy 4 ft NNW swell with calm wind, combined energy 376 (moderate), but the waves are still only ordinary.

Now, the real standout is Monday 7th September. This is the one. The morning brings a solid 7 ft NW swell with a 12-second period – that’s a proper groundswell, long period, lots of energy. The combined energy is a massive 1327 (strong to very strong). The wind is offshore from the WSW, light breeze, and the guidance says “expect very good surf conditions”. This is a serious session. For the experts, this is the best on offer in the whole 16 days, but beginners beware – anything over 8 ft is for experts, and 7 ft is pushing it. The long period and solid NW swell mean the waves will have good shape, but it might be a bit too much for the average surfer at this beach break. The afternoon gets smaller and wind shifts, but the morning is gold.

The following days from Tuesday 8th to Wednesday 9th September drop back to smaller, cleaner conditions, but nothing to match that Monday.

So, overall: the first week is mostly a washout, with a few glassy mornings that are okay but not memorable. The standout is Monday 7th September – that’s your best chance for a proper session. Mark it in the calendar.

Rusty.

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