La Barra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got a look at the next couple of weeks for us. Straight up, it’s a mixed bag, but there are a couple of absolute gems if you’re keen to paddle out.

The overall pattern kicks off with a solid run of clean, moderate surf, then it builds into some serious power later in the first week, before fading back to smaller, glassy conditions in the second week. There’s no gap at the start – we’ve got something to surf from Tuesday morning.

Tuesday 21st July is a real treat to start with. La Barra is seeing a clean 3 ft SSW swell with a long period of 15 seconds – that’s proper groundswell, bringing in plenty of energy (508). The wind is light and offshore from the NW, which means the waves will be smooth and peeling. The water is sitting at 86°F, which is about average for the time of year, so you’ll be comfortable. This is a standout morning – expect very good surf conditions. The afternoon goes a bit cross-shore and messy, so get in early.

Wednesday 22nd morning is glassy, with a 2 ft SW swell (270). The wind is dead calm from the east, zero. That’s a rare gift – the surface will be like a mirror. It’s not big, but for a clean, easy session, this is a winner.

Thursday 23rd morning is also glassy, but the swell drops to 2 ft (129) – it’s surfable but ordinary.

Friday 24th morning is a change of pace. The swell jumps to 3 ft from the SSW, but the period is a massive 24 seconds – that’s very long period groundswell. The energy is strong (887). With a light cross-offshore NW wind, the waves will be clean. For a river/jetty break like La Barra, that long period should wrap in nicely and give you some real shape. Excellent conditions.

Saturday 25th morning is the big one. We’ve got a 3 ft SSW swell with a 21-second period, and the combined energy is pumping at 1102 – that’s strong. The wind is cross-offshore from the NW, clean. The forecast says excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers. This is the standout of the whole outlook. It’s not too big for everyone, but at 3 ft with that period, it’s a solid, powerful wave. The water is still warm. Get on it.

From Sunday 26th through to Monday 27th, the swell builds a bit more (4 ft to 5 ft) but we get cross-onshore winds, so the quality drops. It’s marginal. The energy is still there (over 1000), but the wind is a problem.

Tuesday 28th morning is another highlight. The swell is 5 ft from the SSW with an 18-second period – that’s over 5 ft, so it’s getting into the more serious zone for the experienced crew. The energy is very strong at 1521. The wind is glassy from the east, so the surface will be clean. This is excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers. The afternoon goes cross-onshore again.

Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30th mornings are marginal to good, with the swell dropping back to 5 ft and then 4 ft, and light cross-onshore or glassy winds. Thursday 30th morning is glassy with a 4 ft SSW swell (683) – expect very good surf conditions, a nice clean option.

Friday 31st July morning has a 4 ft SSW swell (619) with a cross-offshore NW wind, clean. The afternoon holds with a 4 ft swell and clean cross-offshore wind. This is a solid, clean day.

Saturday 1st August morning is glassy but the swell has dropped to 3 ft (376) – good for a fun session.

Sunday 2nd August morning is glassy with a 2 ft SSW swell (279) – expect good conditions, but small.

Monday 3rd August morning is glassy again, 3 ft SSE swell (286) – good, clean, small waves.

From Tuesday 4th to Wednesday 5th August, the swell drops to 2 ft and then 2 ft, with mornings being glassy but the surf is very ordinary. The energy is weak (120-235). It’s not a blank run, but it’s the tail end.

So, the clear standouts are Tuesday 21st July morning for the clean, long-period groundswell, and Saturday 25th July morning for the powerful, clean, excellent conditions. Tuesday 28th July morning is also a big one for the experienced crew. The second week is smaller and more about clean, fun waves than power.

Rusty.

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