La Barra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Well, I’ve gotta be straight with you – this 16-day window for La Barra is a tough one. The whole outlook is a bit of a struggle. We’ve got a near-constant cross-onshore wind from the north to north-northeast, and that’s just messing up the surface on every single session. There’s a real gap here with no good surf; the first few days are flat out poor, and it really doesn't let up. The swell is always there, but it’s paired with a chop that makes it a real mission.

For the first week, from Thursday the 3rd right through to Tuesday the 8th, it’s all poor conditions. The swell is coming from the NNE with a short period of 6 to 8 seconds, so it’s pretty weak and disorganised. The combined energy is moderate at best, reading between 106 and 527. The wind is constantly cross-onshore, creating a cross-chop that’s just not fun. La Barra is a beach and reef setup, and with the wind and swell direction, it honestly looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing right now.

The water’s a touch warmer than normal, sitting at 76°F with a positive anomaly of 2°F, so that’s one small comfort.

Moving into the second week, things don’t really improve. The best you can hope for is a couple of “marginal” sessions, like on Wednesday the 9th morning and Thursday the 10th morning. The swell is still coming from the NNE, but it’s pushing up to 7 ft with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is strong now, hitting 598 and 424 respectively, but it’s still cross-onshore. The wind is a gentle breeze, so it’s a bit less choppy than the week before, but it’s still not clean. The swell is hitting 5 ft to 6 ft for most of the week, which is getting into the size that’s a bit much for beginners, but the chop is the real enemy here.

The standout, if you can call it that, is Thursday the 10th morning. The swell is 6 ft from the NNE, with a period of 8 seconds, giving a combined energy of 424. The wind is a gentle cross-shore, so it’s slightly less messy than the rest. It’s still marginal, but it’s the cleanest window we’ve got. In the whole 16 days, that’s probably your best bet for a paddle, but don’t expect anything special.

Honestly, it’s a bit of a blank run. La Barra is very consistent for swell, but with this wind direction, it’s just not on. Forecasts can change, so keep your eyes peeled, but for now, it’s a tough watch.

Rusty.

Read more