Valdovino Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Looking at the stretch ahead for our stretch of coast, and I gotta be straight with you: it’s been a slow couple of weeks, but there’s a little light at the end of the tunnel. We’ve got a long stretch of small, gutless surf and tricky winds to wade through first. The first real chance of a wave doesn't show up until the 21st, so if you're keen, you'll need some patience.

The water's sitting at about 64°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you'll wanna grab the warmer suit.

The first week and a half is pretty rough. We're looking at a lot of days with swell under 3 feet, and the winds aren't doing us any favors. Saturday the 8th has a little bit of glass early, but the swell is only 1ft with a period of 5 seconds—not even worth the paddle. The energy is weak, with a combined energy reading of 21. We get a little bump in size through the middle of the week, but the period stays short and the wind is mostly cross or cross-on. It's gonna be bumpy and lumpy out there.

Now, there is some swell kicking up around the 15th and 16th. We see the size jump to 5ft and 6ft, but this is where it gets messy. The period drops to just 6 or 7 seconds, which is all windswell and no push, and it's coming from the NNE which is not the right direction for us. The wind is also up, blowing 19-22 mph, making it a choppy, cross-shore mess. This setup is far more interesting for the kite crew than for us paddle surfers. This poor run of conditions stretches all the way until the 20th, with strong onshore winds and a huge, stormy 8ft swell that looks like a complete write-off.

But then, things start to change. The light at the end of the tunnel comes on the morning of Thursday the 21st. We finally get a bit of relief. The wind switches around to a light ENE cross-off, and the swell cleans up. While the size is still modest at around 4ft, the period bumps up to 7 seconds and the energy jumps to a more moderate 307. It's not going to be firing, but it will be surfable and clean.

The real standout, however, looks like it's going to be the following morning, Friday the 22nd. The forecast has the wind going glassy, with that swell from the NNW holding at 4ft and the period stretching out to a more promising 9 seconds. The combined energy is up at 276, which is the best we've seen in a while. This is the one you want to circle on the calendar. It won't be huge, but with that kind of glassy surface and a little more period in the swell, it should be the cleanest, most rideable surf of the whole stretch. Valdovino is a fairly exposed spot, and this swell direction is looking right for it. Get on it while you can, because the forecast shows that cross-shore wind making a comeback in the afternoon. This one is promising, but with it being a week out, keep an eye on the charts.

Things ease off after that, but that Friday morning window is the one.

Rusty, signing off.

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