Viento Fresco Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. We’ve got a solid window of surf on offer at Viento Fresco, but it comes with a big health warning for most of the first week.

Overall, we’re looking at a classic run of building northeasterly swell, but the problem is, it’s just going to be too much of a good thing for a stretch there. The best bet is to hit it early or wait for the drop-off.

The first wave worth mentioning arrives on Tuesday morning, July 7th. It’s a bit of a tester, with a 6 ft NE swell pumping in, but the wind is a light cross-onshore at 6 mph from the NE, making it a touch lumpy. The combined energy is a moderate 403. Not the cleanest start, but it’s surfable. Tuesday afternoon gets better, though – the wind drops right out to a glassy 3 mph from the NNW. Same 6 ft NE swell, but combined energy is up to 459. That’s your first real chance for a clean wave.

Now, here’s where it gets wild. From Wednesday morning, July 8th, right through to Sunday morning, July 12th, the swell is consistently over 7 ft, peaking at 8 ft. The energy numbers are big – between 683 and 980 – but the forecast is clear: this is too big for this river/point break. The wind is a mix of cross and cross-onshore, between 3 and 6 mph. Honestly, unless you’re an expert looking for a real beast, you’re better off sitting this one out. It’s going to be a washing machine. The period is only 8-9 seconds, so it won’t be the cleanest big swell either.

The good news? The mellow window returns. Monday morning, July 13th, sees the swell drop to a much friendlier 6 ft from the NE (8-second period). The wind goes glassy from the E at 3 mph. Combined energy is a moderate 435. That’s clean and manageable. Tuesday morning, July 14th is another standout with the same story: 6 ft NE swell, glassy 3 mph from the NE, energy at 328. Then Wednesday morning, July 15th follows suit: 5 ft NE swell, glassy NW wind at 3 mph, energy of 341. These three mornings are the absolute pick of the entire forecast – clean, manageable waves for a beginner to intermediate surfer.

After that, we get a bit of a yo-yo. Thursday, July 16th through Sunday, July 19th the swell jumps back up to 7-8 ft again, which is too big for this spot, with energy pushing 1147 on the weekend. That’s powerful stuff, but not for paddling. The winds are light and variable, but the size is the problem.

The final few days wind down. Monday morning, July 20th has a 6 ft swell but the wind picks up to 9 mph from the ENE, making it choppy (energy 429). Tuesday, July 21st and Wednesday, July 22nd see the swell drop to 5-6 ft, but the period shortens to 7 seconds, and the energy is weak (263 to 246). A bit of a fizzle, but the wind is light.

The Standout: No question, it’s the glassy mornings of Monday, July 13th, Tuesday, July 14th, and Wednesday, July 15th. The swell direction is true NE, which is spot-on optimum for this break. The waves will be clean, in the 5-6 ft range, and the wind will be dead calm. For a beginner-friendly river/point break like Viento Fresco, that’s about as perfect as it gets. Expect crowds sometimes, but with those conditions, it’ll be worth fighting for a spot.

One quick note: the water temp is running about average for this time of year.

So there you have it. Get on the early glass, or wait for the big stuff to pass. Rusty out.

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