La Caffrine Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's dial into what's on offer for the region around La Caffrine over the next couple of weeks.

Right now, things are looking a little sleepy, but we’ve got a solid run of quality surf kicking off later this week that builds into some serious size for the crew who know what they're doing. The water's sitting at 77°, which feels a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – no complaints there.

We start off Wednesday, August 19th with small, clean but weak energy. A 3ft S swell with a modest 11-second period, and the combined energy is only 358 – pretty weak. Wednesday morning has a touch of cross-on wind, but the afternoon goes glassy. It’s small and clean, but nothing to write home about.

Thursday, August 20th, is where you want to start paying attention. We’ve got a 2ft SW groundswell that’s really long-period at 16 seconds, and the energy jumps up (437). Thursday morning is dead glass – offshore wind from the SW at 0 mph – so it’ll be absolutely perfect. This is a great window for a beginner to get out on a longboard and feel that pulse of energy coming through.

Friday the 21st is a bit of a write-off with a bump in size to 4ft but lighter winds and a cross-shore component, making it look messy.

Now, Saturday August 22nd is the first real standout. That same SW swell bumps up to 6ft with a 14-second period and the energy is cranking at a strong 1188 (and up to 1513 by the afternoon). Both sessions are reporting glassy conditions. This is solid, clean, powerful surf. It's getting up there in size, too big for total beginners, but for the intermediate crowd, this is the best window of the first week.

Sunday and Monday, August 23rd and 24th, are absolutely firing for the experienced surfer. The swell holds a clean 8ft to 8ft from the SSW with a 14-second period, and the energy is huge – hitting 2590 and 2441 on the mornings. Both mornings are dead glassy. This is excellent quality, powerful surf, but at this size, it’s experts only, the kind of swell that will have the lineup buzzing.

Tuesday the 25th is a transition day. The swell drops back to 5-6ft as we get through the day. The afternoon turns glassy again with a 5ft SSW swell at 12 seconds, so a nice consolation session if the big stuff was too much.

Then we hit a serious lull in quality. From Wednesday August 26th through to Saturday August 29th morning, the swell gets huge – 10ft to 16ft – and the energy readings are through the roof (5230 up to 14010). While the winds are favorable (clean and offshore), the forecast says this break simply can’t handle it. This size is just too big for La Caffrine, so don’t bother paddling out.

Things calm down on Saturday afternoon, August 29th. The swell drops back to 8ft from the SSW with a 14-second period, the energy is still hefty at 2830, and the wind goes glassy. This is another top-tier session for the more experienced surfer.

Sunday the 30th sees smaller, mixed-up conditions with a 4-6ft SSW swell and shorter periods, so it’s back to being just ok.

Looking into the start of September, we have a couple of solid options. Monday September 1st and Tuesday September 2nd look good. Monday has a standout afternoon session with a 5ft SSW groundswell at 15 seconds and clean cross-offshore winds, the energy is a solid 1160. Tuesday afternoon also shines with a 7ft SSW swell, glassy conditions, and strong energy (2047).

Be cautious of Wednesday September 3rd and Thursday September 4th. The swell is back up to 10ft with a very long 18-second period. The energy reading is massive (5854 on Thursday morning). Even though the wind is glassy on Thursday morning, it’s simply too much swell for this break.

The Verdict: The absolute standout is the Saturday August 22nd through Monday August 24th run. That glassy, 6ft to 8ft SSW groundswell with massive energy is the premium window for experienced surfers. If you’re looking for something smaller, Thursday morning August 20th offers a glassy, long-period 2ft wave that’s perfect for beginners.

Stay safe, stay stoked.

- Rusty

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