Punta Palmilla Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get stuck into this one. It’s a tricky stretch ahead for Punta Palmilla, so let’s be real about it.

The start of this run is a write-off. Friday afternoon and all through the weekend, we’re looking at ankle-biters and messy winds. The swell’s just not there, and even though it’s clean, there’s nothing to ride. It’s a flat spell, so don’t even think about paddling out. This quiet, poor run actually carries through the first few days of August. We’re staring down a gap of a few days with no real surf to speak of. The energy is weak, with combined swell numbers around 140-270, which tells you everything you need to know. It’s a dead ocean.

Then things start to stir a little into the middle of next week. Tuesday the 4th might give you a tiny, glassy ankle-high slop. It’s surfable, but only just, and you’ll be scratching for anything. The energy ticks up slightly, to around 160, but it’s still pretty weak. There’s a period jump to 15 seconds on Tuesday afternoon, but the height is just so small it doesn’t translate into anything you can really sink your fins into.

The real story starts to build from Thursday the 6th into the weekend. The swell is still small, but there’s a noticeable increase in energy, moving from moderate up to strong. Thursday morning has 2ft of SSW swell with a 13-second period, and the energy reads 322, a big jump. It’s still messy with onshore winds, so the quality is poor, but the ocean is waking up.

Friday the 7th is where it gets interesting. The morning is still a bit cross-onshore, but the afternoon looks cleaner with a cross-offshore breeze. The swell has bumped up to 3ft from the SSW. The energy is cranking at 585-651, which is strong. This is the first real sign of life. This is your first proper window, and it looks promising.

Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th follow suit. The swell holds around 3ft, mostly from the SSW. The afternoons are looking best. Saturday afternoon has a lovely light cross-offshore wind and clean conditions, with energy at 511. Sunday afternoon is also clean, with a gentle cross-offshore breeze and energy at 444. These are good, clean, fun waves for a point break. They won’t be huge, but they’ll be well-shaped and the consistency is picking up.

There’s a bit of a lull again on Monday, with cross-shore winds messing up the surface, but don’t worry, the ocean is recharging. The energy remains high, but the wind is a bit of a factor.

The standout period is definitely the second half of the second week. We’re looking at August 12th and 13th. The swell is around 3ft from the SW, with longer periods of 15-16 seconds. This is proper groundswell, the kind that gives you push and shape. The kicker is the wind. Wednesday afternoon and all day Thursday are showing glassy or near-glass conditions with barely a breath of air. The energy is strong, reading around 500-600. This feels like the pick of the entire period. The water is well above average for this time of year, 4° warmer than usual, so you can probably ditch the booties.

After that, it starts to fade again. Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th have a bit more size, up to 4ft, but the winds turn onshore or cross-shore, putting a chop on the surface. The magic is gone. The energy is still strong, but the quality just isn’t there.

So, in a nutshell, there’s not much to get excited about until late next week. The waves won’t be big, but for Punta Palmilla, the quality will be there. Keep your eyes on the 7th for the first clean one, but hold out for the 12th and 13th. That’s the gold.

Rusty.

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