Punta Cono Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for Punta Cono. I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch ahead. We’ve got a solid 16-day window, but the surf is pretty grim for most of it. The first recommendation doesn’t even pop up until Monday the 3rd of August, and even then, it’s barely a whisper.

The overall pattern is a long run of weak, westerly wind that’s just not setting up the point right. The swell direction is mostly from the southwest, which is what the spot wants to see, but the size is tiny and the wind is always on it, cross or cross-onshore, messing up the face. This isn’t a spot for paddle surfing when it’s like this; the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than anything else.

We start on Monday morning, August 3rd, with a tiny 2 ft SW swell. The period is a long 12 seconds, which is a groundswell, but there’s just no push. The combined energy is weak (201). The wind is a light 6 mph cross-on from the WSW. It’s a marginal surf forecast, and honestly, it’s not worth getting wet for. The afternoon gets worse with a 9 mph crosswind.

This sorry pattern just repeats day after day through the first week. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday – all the same story. Small 2 ft to 2 ft SW swell, a long period, but always cross-on or cross winds. The energy stays moderate (184) on Thursday morning, but the wind is choppy. By Friday, August 7th, the energy bumps up to 259 in the morning, but it’s still poor surf conditions. The wind is a light 6 mph cross-on, so it’s not all bad, but the swell is just too small.

Saturday, August 8th, morning gives us a glimmer. Still a tiny 2 ft SW swell, but the period is 16 seconds – a very long groundswell. The energy is moderate (281), and the wind is a gentle 9 mph cross-shore, leaving a slight cross-chop. It’s marginal, but it’s the first time the conditions look a little less awful. The afternoon drops off to nearly nothing.

Then we hit a big gap. From Sunday, August 9th, right through to Friday, August 14th, the forecasts are all poor surf. The swell drops to 0.7 ft, then bounces between 1 ft and 2 ft, but the wind is always a problem. The energy climbs back up – 287 on the 11th, 323 on the 14th – but it’s all garbage with the wind. The long period on the 10th (20 seconds) is a tease, but it’s just too small and too choppy.

The one standout, if you can call it that, is Saturday, August 15th. The morning shows a 3 ft SW swell with a 16-second period. The energy is strong (363), and the wind is a light 9 mph cross-on. It’s not glassy, but it’s the best we’ve seen. The afternoon is bigger, but the wind picks up to 16 mph cross-shore, so it gets messy. Still, this is the pick of the run for a surfer who’s desperate. The 3 ft is small, but that long period might give it a bit of shape. The crowd profile says “sometimes,” so you might have a few locals out, but it won’t be packed.

Monday, August 17th, sees the swell start to build, but it’s a short-period 6-second windswell from the WNW. The energy is 114, but it’s all junk. The wind is cross-on. Tuesday, August 18th, morning has a 5 ft WNW swell, but again, a short period of 7 seconds and a 9 mph cross-on wind. The energy is 361, but it’s crumbly and messy. The water temp is about average for the time of year, no big anomaly.

So, bottom line: this is a lean period. The only real nod goes to Saturday morning, August 15th, at Punta Cono. It’s not firing, but it’s the best of a bad bunch. A long-period groundswell, moderate energy, and the lightest wind we see. Bring a log, keep your expectations low, and you might get a couple of fun ones. For the rest, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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