La Caffrine Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Oi, Rusty here. Let's have a look at the forecast for La Caffrine over the next couple of weeks.

First things first, the water is sitting at 77°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – you won't need a thick wetsuit, that's for sure. This spot is exposed, and it's a beginner-friendly break that's fairly consistent, so it's usually surfable when there's a pulse.

The action kicks off this Sunday, the 30th of August. Sunday morning is a bit of a write-off with a cross-on breeze, but it's the afternoon that grabs your attention. The wind goes totally glassy, and we've got a solid 8ft S swell running with a 13-second period. The energy is pumping at 4631 (strong), and the conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. For a beginner spot, that's a big swell – well over 5ft – so it's one for the crew who know what they're doing. The S swell is a touch off the optimum, but with glass, you'll take it.

Monday, the 31st of August, cleans up nicely. Morning starts glassy with 8ft ESE swell. The period drops to 9 seconds, so it's a more local wind swell, but the cross-off breeze in the afternoon keeps it clean. The energy is still moderate at 1633 and 1470. It's a good, solid run of surf for a couple of days.

After that, things drop right off. From Tuesday the 1st of September through to Friday the 4th, we're looking at tiny surf. Swell heights barely hit 3ft, and the energy levels are weak, below 300. There's a little pulse on Friday the 4th with a 3ft SSW swell, but the period is a massive 19 seconds and the wind is onshore, making it messy. That's a gap of a few days where you're better off doing something else.

The surf starts to rebuild over the weekend. Saturday the 5th of September is a standout. Morning has 6ft SW swell with 14-second period and glassy conditions. The energy is 1383 (moderate), and it's marked as excellent for experienced surfers. This is a proper groundswell with decent size, so it'll be pushing into the break. The afternoon stays glassy but with a few showers, and the swell drops a touch to 5ft.

Sunday the 6th of September is more of a cruiser day. Glassy morning again with a 4ft SW swell, 13-second period, and 785 energy (moderate). It's got very good conditions, but nothing spectacular.

Now, if you can wait, the second week gets very interesting. Monday the 7th sees a SSW swell at 6ft with a 16-second period, but the wind is cross, which puts a bit of a chop on it. The real build starts on Tuesday the 8th of September. Morning has 8ft SSW swell (14s), and the afternoon pumps up to 8ft with a 17-second period and a massive energy reading of 5008. With a cross-off breeze, it's clean, but this is expert territory at over 8ft.

Wednesday the 9th of September is where it gets too big for this break. The forecast has 13ft SSW swell in the morning and 10ft SW in the afternoon. The energy is over 6000. The files say the wind and tide are favorable, but the swell is predicted to be too big – that's a hard pass unless you're a madman. Thursday the 10th of September hits 13ft again with super-high energy (10117), but with an onshore wind, it's a mess.

The surf drops back into a more manageable range for the weekend. Friday the 11th of September is a good call. Glassy morning with 8ft S swell, 12-second period, and 1663 energy. It's excellent for experienced surfers – a big, clean day. By Saturday the 12th, we've got 5ft from the SSE with 11 seconds and glassy conditions in the afternoon. That's a fun, clean setup. The following Sunday (13th) and Monday (14th) keep offering waves in the 3 to 7ft range, but with cross-on winds and long periods, they'll be a bit more challenging to surf cleanly.

For the best of the entire forecast, I'm calling it on Sunday 30th August afternoon for the glassy 8ft S swell, and Tuesday 8th September afternoon for the raw 8ft SSW groundswell with clean conditions. If you're a confident surfer, those are your windows. Beginners, wait for the smaller, glassy days on the 6th or 13th of September.

Rusty.

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