La Boya Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. This is a tricky stretch for the region around La Boya. The whole 16-day window is essentially a write-off for proper waves, and I’m not going to sugar-coat it. There just isn’t anything rideable in the forecast. The swell is small, the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the period is short—we’re talking windswell, not anything with real push. The first few days are particularly dead, with tiny 2ft to 3ft slop and onshore breezes. That’s not surf, that’s just chop.

From the 4th through to the 10th, there’s a lot of nothing. The energy is weak, with combined readings mostly below 150, and the period never gets past 7 seconds. The water temp is 85°, which is about 2° warmer than usual for this time of year—so it’s a bit on the warm side, but nothing crazy. The wind is the real killer. It’s mostly from the SE or ESE, blowing straight on or cross-on, which means the surface is just messy. There’s a brief dip in wind on the morning of the 5th, but it’s still cross-on and the swell is too weak to matter.

We finally see a bit more energy around the 11th and 12th, when the combined energy kicks up to 259 and 302, but the swell is still only 4ft to 4ft and the period is stuck at 7 seconds. The wind is still onshore. It’s more water moving around, but it’s not surfable. The 14th and 15th see the swell push to 5ft to 5ft with the period creeping to 8 seconds, and the energy gets into the 240-315 range, but the wind is still up, especially that Friday afternoon when it hits 19 mph onshore. That’s just blown out.

The one moment that looks like it could have something, at least in terms of size, is the 16th. Sunday afternoon shows a 6ft ESE swell with a 9-second period and the energy jumps to 867—that’s getting into moderate to strong territory. But the wind is still onshore, and the period is still on the short side. It’s a messy, powerful windswell, not a clean groundswell. This is a beach and reef setup, and with that much onshore wind and short period, it’s going to be a washing machine. Honestly, that one looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

After that, things back off again. The energy drops through the 17th and 18th, and we’re back to 4ft to 4ft slop. The 19th shows another pulse of energy at 375, but again, it’s a 7-second period and onshore wind. There’s no let-up.

So here’s the bottom line. There are no good surf options in this entire 16-day window. The swell is too small, the period is too short, and the wind is almost always wrong. La Boya is a fairly consistent reef, so a blank run like this is a bit unusual, but it happens. The good news is that forecasts can change, and with a spot that’s this exposed, it tends not to stay this poor for long. But right now, you’d be better off finding something else to do. The boards can stay in the car.

Rusty

Read more