Tres Palmas (Rincon) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s going on. We’re looking at a pretty flat spell for the next little while. The surf is basically absent for the first week and a half, so don’t be in a rush to grab your board. The only real name in the game here is Tres Palmas (Rincon), and she’s asleep for a long stretch.

Right off the bat, from Friday the 24th all the way through the end of July, it’s dead. We’re talking tiny dribbles of swell, if anything at all. The combined energy is barely registering, with values like 1 or 2 (weak energy). The wind is often glassy or light, which is a tease, but there’s simply no swell to work with. It’s a frustrating start.

As we roll into the first few days of August, the story doesn’t change much. Saturday the 1st has a tiny 1ft pulse from the NNE with a super short 3 second period, not worth paddling for. The 2nd sees a 0.3ft swell with a 10-second period, and the energy is still just 2. It’s still a no-go.

Then, starting around the 4th, we get a little flicker. On the afternoon of Tuesday the 4th, there’s a 0.3ft swell from the north with a 12-second period, pushing energy up to 3. Still tiny, but the period is improving. Wednesday the 5th morning shows a 0.7ft NNE swell with a 10-second period and energy climbing to 10. The afternoon of the 5th has a 0.3ft north swell with a very long 16-second period, but the energy is only 6. It’s something, but not enough to get excited about yet.

The real glimpse of hope comes in the second week. Thursday the 6th afternoon sees a 0.7ft NNE swell with a 13-second period and energy hitting 17. That’s the highest energy we’ve seen all forecast. The glassy wind that afternoon is a major positive. Then Friday the 7th afternoon has a 0.7ft NNE swell, 12-second period, and energy of 14. Finally, Saturday morning the 8th has the best looking data: a 1ft NNE swell with an 11-second period and energy of 47 (moderate wave energy). The wind is offshore from the east at 5 km/h, which will make it clean.

Now, Tres Palmas is an advanced reef break that’s inconsistent and rarely breaks. It’s also a spot that likes a big WNW swell direction, but the optimum direction listed is WNW. The swell we’re seeing is mostly from the north and NNE, so it’s not the ideal angle. The best on offer, and the only real standout, is Saturday morning, August 8th. That 1ft swell from the NNE with moderate energy, an 11-second period, and clean offshore wind is the best you’re going to get in this window. For a break that rarely works, this is a rare opportunity. Expect crowds to be possible, as it’s a spot that draws a crowd when it’s on.

Keep in mind, this is a long-range call, so it’s promising but less certain. The near-term is a washout. We’ve got a solid 10-day gap of no real surf before this little window opens up.

For the rest of the time, it’s a flat spell through the end of July and into early August. That’s a long stretch of nothing. This is a reef break that’s inconsistent, so a blank run is a bit more normal for this area, but it doesn’t tend to stay poor for long. Forecasts can change.

Stay patient, and keep an eye on that Saturday the 8th.

Rusty.

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