La Barra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break it down.

First up, the outlook for La Barra. This is a beach and reef setup, exposed to the swell, so it catches most of what comes in. The optimum swell direction is from the WNW.

Right now, the water temperature is 73°F and is running about 2°F warmer than normal for this time of year. Not a massive anomaly, but it’s a bit warmer than you’d expect for mid-July—definitely noticeable when you first get in.

We’re looking at a pretty grim run. The entire 16-day window is one long stretch of poor surf conditions. There’s no standout day, no window of clean waves, and no real reason to paddle out. The wind is consistently cross or cross-onshore, and often from the north, which just puts a chop on everything. The swell is mostly short period—around 6 to 8 seconds—so it’s weak, disorganized, and lacking any real punch.

For the first few days, from Tuesday 14 July right through to the weekend, the swell is pitiful. On Tuesday morning, we’re looking at a tiny 3ft swell from the NNW with a combined energy of only 84 (weak). That’s barely rideable, even for a beginner. The wind is a gentle cross-shore, but the surf is just poor. Wednesday is even smaller, and Thursday brings a little more size but the period drops to 6 seconds and the wind stays cross-onshore, so it’s chopped out.

From Friday 17 July through to Monday 20 July, the swell picks up a bit—around 5ft to 6ft from the NNE—but the period is still short (7 seconds) and the wind is a moderate to fresh cross-onshore from the north, so it’s just messy, choppy, and not worth the paddle.

The second week doesn’t get any better. From 22 July onward, the swell stays in the 5ft to 7ft range, but the period hardly ever breaks 8 seconds. The wind remains a problem, mostly cross-onshore from the north or NNE. The combined energy climbs into the 300–500 range (moderate), but the wind and short period mean the waves are just lumpy and uninviting. There’s a brief moment on Saturday 25 July and Sunday 26 July where the wind turns offshore (NNW), but it’s still a short-period NNE swell, so it’s likely to be weak and sectiony.

Honestly, there’s nothing here to get excited about. If you’re a kite surfer, the onshore wind and lumpy conditions might be more your thing, but for paddle surfing, this is a total write-off. No standout, no clean swell, no good wind. The whole 16 days is a blank run.

This is one of those periods where the forecast is poor and consistent in its poorness. It’s not unusual for the area—sometimes the swell just doesn’t line up with the wind. Keep an eye on the charts, but for now, I’d find something else to do.

Rusty

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