San Miguel - Populo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – we’ve got a long stretch ahead and not a lot to get excited about. The whole 16-day window is a tough one for San Miguel - Populo. The swell energy is mostly weak, the wind is often wrong, and the wave quality is pretty ordinary for most of it. There’s a gap at the start with no recommendations, so don’t bother paddling out until we get to Monday, August 3rd.

The water temperature is sitting at 73°F which is about normal for the time of year, so at least it’ll be comfortable while you’re sitting there waiting.

The first real chance to get wet is on Monday, August 3rd. It’s a small day – swell around 3ft from the west, with a period of 10 seconds giving it a bit of push. The combined energy is moderate at 143. What’s good is the wind: glassy in the morning, and still glassy in the afternoon. That’s a major positive. The waves are surfable, but they’re very ordinary. It’s a beginner-friendly break, and with that small size, it’s a good one for learning. Crowds are possible here, so keep an eye out.

After that, it gets messy. From Tuesday the 4th through to Friday the 14th, the wind is mostly cross-onshore, onshore, or just choppy. Swell sizes bounce between 2ft and 4ft, but the conditions are poor – too rough for clean surfing. The combined energy occasionally hits moderate levels (like 228 on Wednesday the 5th morning), but the cross-onshore wind and short period (6 seconds) chop it all up. Not worth your time.

There’s a little flicker of hope on Friday, August 14th in the afternoon. Swell is 2ft from the west, period 8 seconds, and the wind goes cross-offshore from the northwest at 15 km/h. The combined energy is weak at 75, but the surf becomes clean. It’s still small and ordinary, but the clean conditions are a nice change. That’s the best of a bad bunch.

The last couple of days, August 15th and 16th, are tiny – 0.7ft to 1ft – and glassy or offshore, but with that little energy, you’re better off on a longboard or a paddleboard.

Honestly, there’s no standout swell in this outlook. If you’re desperate, the Monday morning glass-off on August 3rd or the clean Friday afternoon on the 14th are your best bets. Otherwise, keep your gear in the shed and wait for a better forecast.

Stay tuned, hope it changes. Rusty out.

Read more