El Zonte
Hourly
Confidence
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Wednesday 29
Thursday 30
Friday 31
Saturday 01
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Timezone: America/El_Salvador

El Zonte surf guide

El Zonte is a popular surf spot located in a laid-back town of the same name, just a short drive from Sunzal. This place is known for its combination of river mouth and rocky point breaks, making it accessible for surfers of various skill levels. The setting is pretty chill, with plenty of surf camps around, catering to those looking to ride some waves and soak up the atmosphere. This spot has a reputation as one of the better right-handers in the area, so itโ€™s worth checking out, especially if you're in El Salvador.

The surf here is mainly a rippable right-hander that works well with a south to southwest swell. It can handle swell sizes from around 3 to 8 feet (1 to 2.5 meters) and it's best surfed at mid to high tides. The waves break over a mix of boulders and sand, providing both hearty rides and fun softer swells depending on the conditions. While the right is the star, there are also some lefts that can be fun when the swell gets big enough, especially on the other side of the bay. With a light north wind, conditions can be really nice, and you can expect this spot to be packed, as it's a known stop for many surfers.

Accessing the waves is straightforward; just walk from your hostel and make a short paddle to the lineup. The crowd can get busy since El Zonte is well-known among surfers, but the local vibe is mostly friendly, and you'll find surfers of all abilities out there, including plenty of locals. The area is great for different board types too, so whether you're on a shortboard, fish, longboard, or funboard, youโ€™ll find something that suits your style here.

Surf reports and surf forecasts nearby El Zonte

The Pier - Costa del Balsamo
La Libertad Department, El Salvador
Reef break
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
Sun 2
Mon 3
Tue 4
Wed 5
Thu 6
Fri 7
Sat 8
Sun 9
La Paz
La Libertad Department, El Salvador
Point break
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
Sun 2
Mon 3
Tue 4
Wed 5
Thu 6
Fri 7
Sat 8
Sun 9
Punta Roca
La Libertad Department, El Salvador
Point break
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
Sun 2
Mon 3
Tue 4
Wed 5
Thu 6
Fri 7
Sat 8
Sun 9
Playa Conchalio
La Libertad Department, El Salvador
Beach break
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
Sun 2
Mon 3
Tue 4
Wed 5
Thu 6
Fri 7
Sat 8
Sun 9
Playa Conchalio
La Libertad Department, El Salvador
Beach break
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
Sun 2
Mon 3
Tue 4
Wed 5
Thu 6
Fri 7
Sat 8
Sun 9
La Bocana
Unknown Region, Unknown Country
Rivermouth break
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
Sun 2
Mon 3
Tue 4
Wed 5
Thu 6
Fri 7
Sat 8
Sun 9
Sunzal
La Libertad Department, El Salvador
Point break
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
Sun 2
Mon 3
Tue 4
Wed 5
Thu 6
Fri 7
Sat 8
Sun 9
El Zonte
La Libertad Department, El Salvador
Rivermouth break
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
Sun 2
Mon 3
Tue 4
Wed 5
Thu 6
Fri 7
Sat 8
Sun 9
K59
La Libertad Department, El Salvador
Point break
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
Sun 2
Mon 3
Tue 4
Wed 5
Thu 6
Fri 7
Sat 8
Sun 9
K 61
La Libertad Department, El Salvador
Point break
Wed 29
Thu 30
Fri 31
Sat 1
Sun 2
Mon 3
Tue 4
Wed 5
Thu 6
Fri 7
Sat 8
Sun 9
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Confidence tells you how much the weather models agree on the forecast.

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We calculate the wind confidence by comparing wind speed, gust and direction from multiple models (like GFS, ECMWF, Arome, and Harmonie) and seeing how closely they match. For wave certainty we compare height, period and direction, also on multiple models. They are weighted, meaning that some models count more than others, depending on how good they are for a certain spot.

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Forecast Table

The forecast table (the section on the page with all the numbers) is designed to pack as much information in the screen as possible. Although intimidating at first, it will help you make informed decisions about the waves faster, trust me :D. The table consists of roughly four sections, time and predictions, wind, waves, and tides:

๐Ÿ”ฎ Time and predictions section

Here we show the forecast thour and the overall surf quality prediction. This is determined based on the wave, wind and tide quality prediction. These individual predictions can be found on the forecast map.

๐Ÿ’จ Wind section

The first row on the table (with the ๐Ÿ’จ icon) shows wind speed, direction and gust. The more the wind speed the more aggressive the color (from blue, green, orange to red).

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The waves section consists of three rows, one for wave height and direction, one for period and one for wave energy. Our algorithm choices the "dominant wave". This is normally the first swell partition, but with heavy local storms it displays the wind waves. If that's the case, we display the numbers in italic and in gray.

๐ŸŒ’ Tide section

The tide section consists of a row with the actual heights per hour (measured at the half hour) and a table that displays the flow of the tide and the extremes (lows and highs).

Forecast map

The forecast map consists of arrows. These arrows represent all wave partitions (swell partitions and wind wave partition) and the wind. This allows you to see things like: a secondary swell or wind waves messes up the surf, or the wind is just a tick offshore so very surfable. Click a metric label in the bottom left to bring that arrow to the front โ€” handy when arrows overlap.

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Our AI-driven algorithm scores surf quality, shown by green, orange, and gray dots. Each forecast hour is rated for wind, swell, and tide quality, then combined into an overall score. Hereโ€™s the scale:

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