San Antonio Del Mar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let me tell you, it's a tough one for San Antonio Del Mar. We're looking at a pretty flat and wind-scratched run over the next couple of weeks.

The overall pattern is about as frustrating as it gets. We've got a consistent stream of long-period southern hemisphere groundswell trying to push in, with periods often hitting 15 up to 20 seconds, and that's a good sign for wave quality in theory. But the problem is the wind. It's almost constantly coming from the west or northwest, putting a cross-onshore chop on the surface that just wrecks any chance of a clean face. The waves themselves are small, mostly hovering around 2 ft to 3 ft, and the combined swell energy is often in the moderate range (around 300-400), but it doesn't matter because the texture is so poor. The water is a balmy 73°F, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year, but that's about the only bright spot.

The first real chance of anything even half-decent doesn't come until Tuesday the 11th of August. Through the morning it's still a write-off, but by Tuesday afternoon we see a pulse of 3 ft, 18-second SW groundswell with a combined energy of 524. The wind finally backs off to a light 6 mph onshore breeze from the WSW, making it nearly glassy. It's still small, a bit marginal, and the wind is technically onshore, but it's the first session in days where the water isn't total chop. Wednesday the 12th morning is a similar setup with clean light winds, but the swell dips a little.

Then on Thursday the 14th of August, there's a bigger spike in energy. The swell is still only 3 ft from the SW, but the period is a very long 18 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 656. That's a lot of push for a small wave, telling you the sets will be super clean and have real shape on them. The wind is a light cross-onshore from the WNW, so it's not perfect, but it's the best looking energy in the entire forecast. The downside is the period is so long that it might break a bit too straight and close out on the beach, so it's a spot for the guys who can pick the right peak.

The standout session, if you can call it that, is likely the morning of Saturday the 15th of August. We get a 3 ft swell from the SSW with a 16-second period and a combined energy of 654. The wind is the key here: it's a true cross-shore from the NW, which is rare in this forecast. Only a gentle 9 mph breeze, so the surface will be clean with just a slight cross-chop. That's about as good as it's going to get. It's not a big day, but it's a really fun-sized, clean little wave.

After that, the pattern backslides into that same old cross-onshore chop through the rest of the second week. There are a few more mornings with light onshore winds and small swell, but nothing that justifies a mad dash. The long-range stuff around the 20th and 21st of August is just more of the same: small, messy, and marginal. Honestly, it's a two-week period where you're better off picking the days with the cleanest conditions, not the biggest swell. The best bet is the Saturday morning of the 15th, with the Thursday the 14th as a close second. Keep your expectations low and your eyes on the wind.

Rusty.

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