Tres Picos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve got to be straight with you—this stretch ahead for Tres Picos is a bit of a tough one. We’ve got a long run of days where the wind just won’t play nice, and the waves are mostly messy or marginal. The water is sitting at 70°F which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a thick suit.

The first surfable moment worth a look doesn’t show until Saturday the 15th of August. That morning we’ve got a bit of a break: swell from the SW at 4ft, period of 14 seconds, and the wind turns *onshore* which cleans things up. Combined swell energy is moderate at 746 (moderate wave energy). It’s still a marginal call, but the light breeze and clearer skies give it a chance. That afternoon the wind goes cross-onshore, so the morning window is your best shot.

Tuesday the 11th of August has a brief flicker of hope in the afternoon. Swell from the SSW at 5ft, period of 14 seconds, and the wind drops right off to just a slight air—5 km/h from the south. That’s light cross-onshore with small wind ripples, so it’s not perfect but it’s the cleanest we see for a while. Combined swell energy is strong at 1002 (strong wave energy). This is a standout moment, but it’s still rated as marginal. For a beginner-friendly spot that’s fairly exposed to SW swell and consistent, this is your best option in the first week. Just be aware crowds are sometimes an issue here.

Now, moving into the second week, Sunday the 16th of August morning shows some promise. Swell from the SW at 6ft, period of 14 seconds, with a gentle cross-shore breeze from the SSE at 15 km/h. That’s about as good as the wind gets in this run. Combined swell energy is strong at 1186 (strong wave energy). Still only a marginal call, but if you’re keen, that’s your pick.

After that, things drop off again. From Monday the 17th onward, we see poor surf conditions with cross-onshore winds and choppy water, and the swell goes short period or drops in size. There’s a stretch from the 18th to the 23rd where nothing really gets above a 1 out of 10 for quality. A few mornings on the 20th and 21st show onshore wind and light breeze with small SW swell around 3ft to 3ft and periods of 12-14 seconds, but the energy is weak (278 to 447, low to moderate). Not worth paddling out for.

Honestly, the standout across the whole 16 days is Tuesday 11th August afternoon for that clean-ish window with the light wind and 5ft SSW swell. The other is Saturday 15th August morning for the onshore wind and 4ft SW swell. The rest is mostly a write-off, but that’s the reality here sometimes.

Stay patient, keep an eye on the sky, and don’t force it.

Rusty.

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