El Sardinero - Primera Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be honest with you – it’s looking lean. Real lean. The next 13 days are basically a write-off for any decent surf. We’re looking at a long, dry stretch of tiny, weak waves with barely any energy behind them. The whole pattern is just flat, so don’t bother waxing up your board just yet.

Things start off on Sunday, August 2nd, with a tiny 1ft NNE windswell at El Sardinero - Primera. The combined energy is a weak 20, and with a cross-shore NW breeze at 9 mph, it’s messy and poor. Monday morning the 3rd looks glassy with a 0.7ft WNW swell, but it’s just too small to do anything with. The whole first week is a bust: wind often onshore or cross-onshore, wave heights barely cracking 2ft, and almost no power. The water is sitting at 72°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only thing worth noting.

We finally see a little pulse of energy show up on Thursday, August 6th, with a 3ft NNW swell and combined energy climbing to 156 – still moderate, but the wind is onshore from the ENE at 6 mph, so it’s junk. Friday morning the 7th is glassy calm with a 3ft swell, but the period is a short 8 seconds and the energy is only 73. It’s just not enough.

The real standout, and the only thing worth getting excited about, is way out there. On the morning of Sunday, August 16th, we get a glimmer of hope. The conditions turn glassy with a 2ft NW swell carrying a 10-second period. The combined energy bumps up to 115, which is still moderate but the biggest we’ve seen. The wind is off the NE at just 3 mph, dead calm. It’s described as “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” but for this stretch, that’s a gift. The swell direction (NW) isn’t perfectly aligned with the optimum N direction for the spot, but the glassy conditions mean it’ll be clean. It’s not a day for the big boards or the crowd—crowds are often a thing here—but for a sneaky session, it’s the best we’ve got.

Then Monday morning, August 17th, the swell picks up to 3ft from the NNW with a 10-second period, and energy hits 158. The wind is cross-onshore from the N at 6 mph, so it’s a little bumpy, but the afternoon swings to a clean cross-off from the WNW at 9 mph. That afternoon could actually be fun for a grovel on a log.

So, to sum it up: you’ve got a 13-day wait for anything decent. The 16th and 17th of August are your best bets. It’s not going to be epic, but a glassy morning or a clean afternoon with a tiny bit of push is better than nothing. Keep your expectations low and your eyes on the forecast.

Rusty.

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