La Barra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming our way.

To be straight with you, this is a tough stretch. We’ve got a solid 16-day window, but honest to god, the conditions are against us for a proper surf. The problem is that pesky northerly wind just won't quit, blowing right across the swell and making a mess of things. The water temperature is sitting at 73°F, which is pretty standard for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

For the first week, from Monday the 20th right through to Sunday the 27th, it's a write-off. We see swell building from a tiny 0.3ft up to a decent 8ft by the weekend, but that persistent cross-onshore wind keeps the surface choppy and lumpy. The wave energy climbs from a weak 8 up to a strong 887 by Saturday, but with the wind howling at 15 to 18 mph and coming from the wrong direction, it’s just ugly. The swell period is short too, mostly around 7 to 8 seconds, meaning weak, messy waves. There's not a single day in there I'd point anyone towards.

Heading into the second week, the pattern looks locked in. From Monday the 28th of July right through to Tuesday the 4th of August, it's more of the same. Northerly winds, cross-onshore, with swell hanging around the 5ft to 8ft range. The wave energy stays moderate to strong, hitting 1151 on the morning of Sunday the 2nd of August, but again, it's all for nothing with the wind. There is one brief moment on the morning of Sunday the 2nd of August where the wind swings around to be directly onshore from the NNW, but the report says the conditions are unknown, so I can't tell you if that cleaned things up. The afternoon of that same day is rated as only a 1 out of 10, which tells you it's still not happening.

The only break on offer is La Barra, a beach and reef setup that is exposed to the swell and very consistent. It's a beginner-friendly spot, but with the swell pumping over 5ft and then 8ft, it’s getting too big for learners, and for a few days there, it’s purely for experts if they even wanted to try. But with that constant cross-wind, even the experts would be scratching their heads. It's so consistently windy that this setup honestly looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

So, the brutal truth is there are zero standout days in this 16-day outlook. We’re looking at a complete blank run of poor surf conditions. It's not unusual for the area when the wind sets in like this. We just have to wait for the pattern to break. Keep your eye on the forecasts, because it tends not to stay this bad forever.

Rusty.

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