La Caffrine Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. We’ve got only one spot to look at in this region for the next couple of weeks, so let’s get into it.

Right off the bat, Sunday morning (August 9th) is looking solid. La Caffrine is a beginner-friendly, exposed break, and we’re waking up to a glassy 1.3m (4ft) SW groundswell with a very long 15-second period. The water’s sitting at 25° (77°F), which is a touch warmer than we’d normally expect this time of year – nice little bonus. The combined swell energy is hefty at 1279 (moderate to strong), so there's some real push behind those sets. This makes for excellent conditions for experienced surfers, and with the wind dead calm, it’s about as clean as it gets. This first morning is the standout of the first week.

Sunday afternoon holds up with more glassy conditions and a similar 1.3m (4ft) SW swell (1393 energy), though there's a chance of a rain shower. Monday the 10th gets a bit cloudy, and the wind turns onshore, making things marginal. The swell bumps up to 1.5m (5ft) on Monday afternoon with a long 16-second period (1247 energy), but that onshore breeze will mess with the surface.

Tuesday the 11th brings a mixed bag. Morning is cross-on and marginal, but Tuesday afternoon sees the wind go glassy again with a clean 1.3m (4ft) SW groundswell (824 energy). Wednesday the 12th follows a similar pattern: a cross-on morning but a glassy, clean afternoon with 1.3m (4ft) swell (647 energy). Thursday the 13th looks clean and glassy in the afternoon (1.3m/4ft, 667 energy).

Now, we get a serious pulse building. Friday the 14th sees the swell jump to 1.8m (6ft) in the morning (1448 energy) and then 1.9m (6ft) in the afternoon (1976 energy), but the wind turns cross-shore and it’s pretty average quality. Then comes Saturday the 15th – whoa. A solid 2.0m (7ft) S groundswell rolls in with a very long 20-second period and the combined energy is a massive 4678. Morning is clean with cross-off winds. The afternoon, however, gets huge: 3.0m (10ft) S swell (7189 energy). That’s expert territory and the data says it’s simply too big for this break. Sunday the 16th is also oversized in the morning (3.0m/10ft, 4875 energy) but eases to a still-chunky 2.5m (8ft) in the afternoon (2999 energy), and that’s a cleaner, more manageable size for a good crew. This stretch from the 15th to the 17th is the real winning run, with the 15th afternoon being a big-wave session only, but the 16th afternoon and all of Monday the 17th (glassy, 1.2m/4ft, 16-second period, 1303 energy) are absolute gems.

After that, the surf fades. Tuesday the 18th is small and weak with onshore wind. The rest of the week into the 20th offers clean but tiny waves—0.8m (3ft) at best with long periods, but not much power. From the 21st onward through the 23rd, it gets windy and messy, with poor surf conditions. Then, on Monday the 24th, another massive pulse shows up: 3.5m (12ft) to 4.0m (13ft) SSW swell with energy readings over 7000. It’s clean, but completely out of control for this spot.

Bottom line: For this region, Sunday the 9th morning is the top call for the first week – clean, solid, and warm. For the bigger stuff, the afternoon of the 17th and the 16th afternoon are the best bets, with clean conditions and powerful, long-period groundswell. The 24th is a monster, but only for the brave.

- Rusty

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