La Chocolatera Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's get into it for the coast around La Chocolatera.

The next 16 days are a bit of a mixed bag. The waves aren't going anywhere, but the conditions are going to be a constant battle. The ocean is pumping with a lot of energy, but the wind is rarely on our side. We've got a big pulse of swell from the southwest coming through, but it's going to take some patience to find a clean window.

We get started on the morning of Friday, August 28th. La Chocolatera, a point break that's intermediate-friendly but inconsistent, is showing a head-high swell at 4ft from the WSW. The energy in the water is moderate at 874, but it’s a long-period groundswell of 18 seconds. That's going to mean long waits between sets, but the waves that do come will have some real push. The water is sitting at 79°, which is a massive 10° warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s incredibly unusual. The problem is the wind is straight onshore from the SSW at 9 mph, chopping it up. The rating is poor, so it's really just a look-see.

Saturday the 29th builds a little. The morning swell hits 5ft from the SW, still a solid 15-second period. The energy kicks up to 1122, moderate to strong. But the wind is still onshore from the SW at 9 mph, turning it into a mess by the afternoon when the wind picks up to 15 mph. It’s a write-off. Sunday the 30th through Monday the 1st of September sees the swell drop back to the 3ft to 4ft range, but the wind stays mostly onshore. The water is still warm, but the surf quality is just poor.

We have a bit of a lull in quality through the early week. Wednesday the 3rd of September shows the swell at 3ft but with a long period returning (18 seconds), and energy hitting 760. That's a moderate amount of juice for such a small wave. Still, with the wind onshore, the score is marginal at best.

Now, here’s the one to circle. Friday morning, September 4th. The swell jumps back up to 5ft from the SW, with a 16-second period. The combined energy leaps to 1274. In the morning, we have a gentle breeze onshore from the SSW at 9 mph. It’s not perfect, but with that much raw power from such a long period, the set waves at this point break could be the best we see all period. It’s still a marginal call, but if the wind holds, Friday morning is your best bet. The afternoon is similar, but the wind gets a little stronger from the WSW.

After that, it’s a tale of fading energy. Swell drops back under 5ft for the second week, and the wind remains a persistent problem, mostly onshore or cross-onshore. Tuesday the 8th of September afternoon has a pulse of 4ft swell at 17 seconds, and energy of 1147, with just a 9 mph onshore wind. That’s another candidate for a sneaky-good session if you don’t mind a bit of texture on the face. Thursday the 10th morning has some promise with light WSW winds at 6 mph and a 5ft, 15-second SW swell (energy 878), but the afternoon gets chopped up. The final weekend, September 12th, is small and weak, with the swell dropping below 3ft.

Overall, don't get your hopes too high for perfect conditions. The standout is Friday, September 4th morning for the raw power of the swell. Keep an eye on Tuesday afternoon, September 8th, and Thursday morning, September 10th, as the next best chances for a wave with some grunt. The water will be warm, but you’ll be battling the wind almost every day. This setup might be more appealing to the kite crowd than the paddle crew on most afternoons.

Rusty.

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