La Derecha de Almaciga Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you – this is a tough run of forecasts for our local waters. We're looking at a stretch that's going to test your patience, with no real green lights for a solid session for the foreseeable future.

We're starting off with the only break on the cards, La Derecha de Almaciga. The water is sitting at 77°, which is a touch warmer than what we'd normally expect for this time of year, so at least you won't be freezing while you're waiting for a wave that never comes.

Right from the get-go, Monday the 31st of August, it's a write-off. We've got a weak 4ft to 5ft swell from the NNE, but it's a short-period 7-second windswell with a combined energy of only 257. The wind is hammering from the NNE at 16 mph, blowing straight across the face, making it choppy and miserable. That pattern of poor surf conditions and cross-onshore winds locks in all day and carries straight through Tuesday. Tuesday afternoon gets a bit lumpier with a fresh 19 mph breeze and a combined energy of 318. Still no good.

Wednesday the 2nd of September brings a bit more size, pushing up to 7ft, but it's still a short-period NE windswell. The combined energy jumps to 608 in the morning and 696 in the afternoon, which is moderate, but the wind is howling onshore. It's blown out, messy, and for the experienced crew, that size with onshore wind is just a washing machine. This continues into Thursday, with size dropping back to 5ft, but the wind stays on it. The whole first week is a frustrating mix of cross-onshore and onshore winds, with the swell bouncing around between 4ft and 6ft but never lining up right.

Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th of September are more of the same – fresh cross-onshore winds from the NW at 19 mph, lumpy, choppy conditions, and weak energy readings under 200. Sunday the 6th offers a slight glimmer of hope in the afternoon, with the swell dropping to just 2ft but the period jumping to 14 seconds from the NNW, giving us a combined energy of 323. However, the wind is still onshore. That long-period groundswell would be a dream on a point break, but at a beach/reef setup like this with onshore wind, it's just going to be a fat, bumpy wall. Not worth paddling out for.

We then enter a long, flat spell. Monday the 7th through to Thursday the 11th of September, we're looking at swell heights between 2ft and 5ft, but all with short periods or poor winds. The combined energy drops to three-digit numbers, with a low of 120 on the 11th. There is absolutely no stand-out session here.

The second week is more of the same struggle. Friday the 11th has a light 6 mph breeze from the NE, but the swell is a weak 4ft at 6 seconds. The combined energy is a paltry 140. Saturday and Sunday the 13th drop to ankle-snappers of 2ft. On Sunday afternoon, a 16-second period groundswell pops up from the N, giving a combined energy of 259 for a tiny 2ft wave. That's a tease.

Then, right at the very end, on Tuesday the 15th of September, the models show a big spike. We're looking at 5ft from the NNW with a very long 15-second period. The combined energy jumps to a massive 1306, which is strong. But the forecast still says "poor surf conditions." That tells me the wind is likely still a problem, or the angle is just off for La Derecha. For a break that's exposed and needs a clean offshore, that big a long-period groundswell with any onshore wind is going to be a beast. It would be a sight to see, but not one to paddle out into unless you're an expert and the wind gods change their tune. It's too far out to rely on.

In short, there are no good days on the horizon. This is one of those blank runs where the forecast is telling you to fix your board dings, sort your wetsuit, and wait for the charts to flip. The setup we've got is so consistently wind-affected that it might actually look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing if the wind stays strong. Hang in there, it won't stay poor forever.

Rusty.

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