La Caffrine Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the outlook for La Caffrine. This is a beginner-friendly, fairly consistent spot that’s exposed to the swell, and it loves a good SSW pulse. The water here is sitting at about 77° right now, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – nice, you can leave the thick rubber at home.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but don’t worry, it doesn’t stay flat for long. The first real chance to get wet comes Thursday, the 20th of August, in the afternoon. The swell is a modest 2ft from the SW, with a very long period of 15 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy is moderate (413). The wind is a light cross-offshore breeze, so the surface will be clean. The waves won’t be big, but it’s a good sign of things to come.

Friday the 21st is where it starts to get interesting. The morning is the pick – glassy conditions with a building 4ft SW swell at 14 seconds. The energy jumps to moderate (817), and it’s going to be clean and lined up. The afternoon goes a bit cross, but still ridable.

Now, the real standout is Saturday the 22nd. The morning session is absolute gold. We’re looking at 6ft of SW swell, 14-second period, and the wind is dead glassy. The combined energy is strong (1188), but the period keeps it from being a washing machine. This is the kind of morning you set an alarm for. The afternoon picks up a bit of cross-onshore wind, so get on it early.

Sunday the 23rd gets a bit more size – 8ft in the morning – but the wind is cross-onshore, making it a bit lumpy. The energy is really strong (2590), but it’s getting messy. By Sunday afternoon, the wind goes cross-shore, but it’s still a handful.

Monday the 24th is another cracker for experienced surfers. The morning is glassy calm with a solid 8ft SSW swell, again at 14 seconds. The energy is very strong (2441). This is proper, powerful surf. The afternoon stays glassy with the same size. If you’ve got the skills, Monday is your day.

Tuesday the 25th keeps the run going. Morning is glassy with 6ft SSW swell, and the energy is still strong (1209). The afternoon is dead calm with 6ft – it’s going to be silky smooth.

We then see a bit of a drop-off Wednesday the 26th. The swell dips to 5ft, but the wind picks up and gets cross, so the surface gets a bit of chop. It’s not terrible, but not the standout.

Things get a bit wild from Thursday the 27th through to Saturday the 29th. The swell pumps up to 10ft and then 15ft, with periods hitting 16-17 seconds. The energy readings are massive (up to 12248) – that’s some serious, heavy water. The winds are cross-offshore, keeping it clean, but honestly, this is too big for La Caffrine. It’s going to be a washing machine, and only absolute experts should even look at it. The forecast even says it’s too big for the break.

We get a nice reset on Sunday the 30th. The morning is glassy with a clean 7ft S swell, energy moderate (1421). The afternoon is clean with cross-offshore wind and 6ft. This is a good, solid day for experienced surfers.

The final week starts to taper off. Monday the 31st has 4ft S swell, clean but small. The energy is weak (373). Then Tuesday, the 1st of September, the swell drops to 3ft with a long period of 16 seconds, but it’s very weak (349). The wind is pretty strong and cross-offshore, so it’s clean but tiny.

The last few days of the outlook show a bit of a pulse. Wednesday the 2nd of September morning has 3ft SW swell, clean, but the afternoon is the real gem – glassy calm with 4ft SW swell at 13 seconds, energy moderate (516). That’s a lovely little afternoon session for the end of the run. Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th are a bit onshore and small, so nothing special.

Bottom line: The best waves on offer are the Saturday morning (22nd) and Monday morning (24th) sessions. Saturday is the most accessible for a wide range of surfers with that 6ft glassy swell, while Monday is for the experienced crew chasing bigger, cleaner waves. Don’t bother with the 27th to 29th – it’s a beast best left alone.

Rusty

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