La Barra Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, we’ve got a real slow cooker of a forecast for La Barra. This river/jetty setup is exposed to the SSW swell, which is exactly what it needs, and over the next 16 days, there’s a proper build coming. The water is sitting at 88° right now, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year—nothing wild, just a pleasant surprise if you’re jumping in.

We start off this Monday morning (September 14th) with tiny, clean 2ft SW groundswell at a long 12 seconds, and glassy conditions with a light WNW breeze. Energy is weak (157), but it’s surfable. The afternoon goes to crap though—wind swings SW and picks up, turning it cross and messy. That’s the pattern for the first week: clean, small mornings with a brief window, then blown out by the afternoon.

Tuesday morning (September 15th) is a step up—2ft SSW swell at 18 seconds, glassy with a NE breeze, and energy jumps to moderate (487). That’s a proper long-period groundswell, and it’ll line up nicely on the river mouth. Wednesday morning (September 16th) is the standout of the first week: 4ft SSW, 16-second period, dead calm glass, and energy is strong (771). That’s a beautiful, clean window for intermediate surfers. The swell direction is dead on the optimum from SSW, and with zero wind, it’ll be silky.

Thursday and Friday mornings (September 17th and 18th) keep the same vibe—glassy or light offshore, with 3ft and 3ft SSW swell. Crowds are possible here at La Barra, so get in early. Saturday morning (September 19th) is clean again with a cross-off WNW breeze and 2ft SSW swell at 18 seconds, but it’s smaller.

The real standout of the whole run is Sunday morning (September 20th). We’ve got 3ft SSW swell at a very long 19 seconds, cross-off WNW wind, and combined energy is strong at 760. This is a classic groundswell setup—long period, clean, and the river mouth will handle that direction perfectly. It’ll hold shape and the sets will have proper grunt for its size. If you’re picking one session this week, that’s it.

Monday morning (September 21st) is another gem—3ft SSW at 18 seconds, dead calm glass, energy strong (619). The afternoons remain a write-off with onshore winds or storms. Tuesday to Friday mornings (September 22nd to 25th) keep the small, clean run going—2ft to 3ft, glassy or light, with energy holding in the moderate-to-strong range. Not huge, but fun.

Now, the second week gets interesting. Saturday morning (September 26th) brings a serious jump: 6ft SSW swell at 12 seconds, glassy, and energy hits very strong (1379). This is getting into expert territory—over 5ft and pushing. The afternoon gets bigger and messy with wind. Sunday morning (September 27th) drops slightly to 6ft SW at a shorter 10 seconds, with a cross-on breeze. It’s marginal—the period is short, so the waves might be a bit fat and lumpy.

But Monday the 28th and Tuesday the 29th? That’s the big finale. Monday morning sees 8ft SSW at 11 seconds, with a cross breeze, and energy is very strong (1672). Tuesday morning delivers 10ft SSW at 11 seconds, glassy, with energy at 2267. That’s huge—too big for most. This break is a river mouth, and with long-period swell over 8ft, it’s only for experts who know the lineup. The afternoon sessions are all blown out or onshore. The Tuesday morning session is a beast, but only for the brave.

In summary: The first week’s best is Sunday morning (September 20th) with clean, long-period grunt. The second week’s monster standout is Tuesday morning (September 29th), but it’s huge and expert-only. If you’re a beginner, stick to the mornings from September 14th to 19th when it’s under 5ft.

Rusty.

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