El Salvador · Central America
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El Sunzal is a consistent right-hand point break on El Salvador's Pacific coast, producing long, mellow walls over a cobblestone bottom. The wave wraps slowly around the point, offering thick, sloping faces that peel at a comfortable pace. This is the friendlier, more accessible counterpart to nearby El Tunco's heavy rivermouth. The wave rewards smooth, flowing surfing and provides an excellent environment for intermediates building confidence on longer rides.
South-westerly Pacific groundswells arrive consistently from April through October. The wave activates on small swells (2-3ft) and handles up to 6ft before becoming too fast. North-easterly offshore winds, most reliable at dawn, groom the faces beautifully. The dry season (November-April) has lighter, less consistent swells but cleaner morning conditions.
The take-off zone sits at the top of the cobblestone point where the swell first wraps and steepens. The right peels for 100-200 metres along the gradually deepening bottom. Position yourself at the top of the point for the longest rides. The inside section offers shorter, mellower waves for less experienced surfers. The deep water beyond the point provides a comfortable paddle-out.
The cobblestone bottom is round and relatively deep, minimising severe impact. The main hazards are the crowd on good days and the current that can sweep riders further down the point. The tropical sun is intense. On bigger swells, the wave picks up speed and becomes less forgiving.
Parking along the road above the break. A short walk down to the beach. Basic warungs and accommodation options nearby. The break is a 10-minute drive from El Tunco village which has fuller facilities. The El Salvador coastline is concentrated, making it easy to check multiple spots.
El Sunzal draws both locals and visitors seeking a mellower alternative to El Tunco. Expect 15-25 surfers on good days. The long, peeling nature of the wave means everyone gets rides. The atmosphere is relaxed and non-aggressive. Weekend mornings are busiest.
A longboard or wide fish maximises fun on this sloping, fat wave. The wave does not generate enough speed or steepness for aggressive shortboarding to be rewarding. What it does offer is length, consistency, and workable faces for drawn-out carving. The early morning glass-off window (6am-8am) consistently provides the cleanest conditions before the thermal onshore develops. Combine El Sunzal sessions with El Tunco for variety; the contrast between the mellow point and the heavy rivermouth provides excellent progression.
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Based on historical weekly averages
Combining historical conditions with school holiday crowd pressure to find the sweet spot.
How busy each week is based on school holiday overlap from feeder markets.
The timing score combines two signals: historical conditions quality (how good the skiing or surfing typically is in a given week, based on 5 years of weather data) and crowd pressure (how many of this destination's feeder markets have school holidays that week).
Crowd pressure is weighted by each feeder country's share of visitors. If 40% of a resort's visitors come from France and France is on holiday, that contributes 0.40 to the crowd pressure score. Crowds can reduce the timing score by up to 35%, ensuring conditions still matter most.
Scores: 5 = great conditions with low crowds (the sweet spot). 4 = great conditions with moderate crowds, or good conditions with low crowds. 3 = average. 2 = below average conditions or very crowded. 1 = poor conditions or peak holiday chaos.
Last 28 days of logged conditions.
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Create Profile →Current conditions refresh every 3 hours when the cron runs. Hourly data updates every 30 minutes. The 7-day forecast, luck factor, and packing notes are all pre-computed at the same time.
We compare the 7-day forecast to the last 5 years of marine data for the same week at El Sunzal. The delta tells you whether conditions are shaping up better, worse, or about the same as a typical mid-June.
We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.
Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).
Honestly, no. Every break has tide windows, swell directions and reef contours that a global model cannot see. Treat the score as a starting point, then check a local cam.
The best week for surf at El Sunzal is the week of 9 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.
Solid swell with plenty of rideable waves on offer. Strong offshore, clean but tough to paddle into. Conditions improving through the afternoon.
Heads up: jellyfish: peak season, and rip risk elevated.
Indicators derived from forecast data, not official warnings. Always check local lifeguard or official advice.
Crystal clear water: ~22m visibility
Daily scores over the last 12 months at El Sunzal