Punta del Hidalgo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

The 16-day window kicks off with a stretch of real junk – waves are small, wind is onshore, and things look messy. Don't get too keen for the first week and a bit, because there's not much to work with. The water’s sitting at around 77° and running a touch warmer than usual for this time of year. Punta del Hidalgo is a point break that needs a good push, but right now it’s just not happening.

The first few days, from the 15th through the 17th, are a write-off. Swell is tiny, mostly under 3ft, with a cross-onshore breeze chopping things up. The 17th does see a bump in size to around 6ft, but the wind is still on it, so it’s ragged and lumpy. Not worth paddling out for.

There’s a slight improvement on the 18th and 19th – still not great, but the swell holds around 6ft to 7ft and the wind starts to ease off a little on the 19th morning. It’s marginal, though, and the tide looks iffy. You’d be scratching for a couple of fun ones, but nothing clean.

Then the bottom falls out again from the 20th through the 25th. Swell drops right back to under 3ft, and we’re stuck with cross and cross-onshore winds. There’s a long-period pulse moving through, but it’s not translating into decent waves at this spot. It’s flat and frustrating.

Now, here’s where it starts getting interesting. On the 26th, we see a proper jump in size – around 4ft to 5ft – and the swell direction swings to the northwest. The energy is building, with combined energy readings hitting four digits (1103 on the morning of the 26th). Still, the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s a bit of a wrestle. The 27th stays similar, around 6ft, with moderate cross-shore winds, but it’s still not clean.

The standout window is the 28th of September, Monday morning. That’s the one to circle. Swell is 6ft from the northwest, and for the first time in this whole run, the wind is light and cross-offshore, giving you clean conditions. The energy is strong at 1099, and the period is a solid 12 seconds – proper groundswell with some push. This is the best on offer, a genuine fun session for experienced surfers. It’s a point break, so the long period should wrap nicely, and with light wind, it’ll be glassy. Crowds are possible, so get there early.

After that, the 29th and 30th drop back a bit. The 29th still has 6ft from the northwest but the wind turns cross-shore, so it’s less clean. The 30th sees the swell back down to around 3ft, and though the period is long at 15-16 seconds, the wind messes it up again. Not really worth it unless you’re desperate.

So, overall: don’t waste your time for the first week and a bit. The 28th morning is the standout – clean, solid, and proper. That’s the one to plan around. The rest is just waiting.

Rusty.

Read more