La Barra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let me tell ya, it’s been a tough watch for the next couple of weeks at our local stretch. I’ve got the full picture from Sunday the 16th of August all the way through to Monday the 31st of August, and honestly, it’s a pretty bleak run. Every single window we’ve got is showing "poor surf conditions." Not a single standout session in the whole forecast. So let’s get into it.

First up, La Barra. It’s a beach and reef setup, very consistent, which usually gives you hope, but the wind is messing things up bad. From Sunday morning the 16th all through the week, we’re looking at a persistent northerly breeze. It’s cross-on, which is the kiss of death for clean faces here. The swell is a mix of short-period northern energy, mostly around 3 ft to 5 ft through the first week. The combined energy is typically in the moderate range, but it’s just messy. Water temp anomaly is average for the time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

We actually have a solid pulse building late in the window. By Thursday the 27th of August, the swell kicks up to 7 ft from the north-northeast, with the combined energy hitting a strong level. That’s some decent power, but the period stays short at 8 seconds and the wind is still a moderate cross-on northerly at 15 mph. This is expert territory, and with the conditions, it’s going to be a washing machine. It’s also too big and blown out for any beginner to even think about paddling out.

Through the rest of the second week, the swell stays in the 5 ft to 7 ft range, but we’re not getting a break from that choppy cross-on wind. Between the weekend of the 22nd and the 31st, there’s no real window of relief.

Look, with the setup here being an exposed beach and reef, and this persistent northerly wind, this is one of those stretches where the beach might actually be more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle guys. The energy is there, but the quality is just absent. It’s a long gap of nothing good on offer.

We’ve got to watch the long-range forecasts, but right now, I wouldn’t be waxing up for anything in the next 16 days. Hang tight, gang. Forecasts can change, but this one’s a hard pass for now.

Rusty.

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