La Nora Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it.

Look, the next couple of days are a bit of a flat, messy letdown. Friday and Saturday at La Nora are pretty lackluster, with weak, short-period swell and cross-shore winds that will chop it all up. You’re looking at ankle-biters in the 1ft to 2ft range with no real push. It’s a scratch-your-head and stay on the beach kind of vibe. Nothing to get excited about there.

But hang tight, because things start to turn around by Sunday morning. That’s when we see a proper pulse of new energy arriving.

Sunday, September 13 is where it starts to get interesting. We’ve got a 4ft swell with a 12-second period, and it’s coming from the NNW, which is right in the sweet spot for La Nora (Sal). The wind is a light offshore-cross from the ESE, and the water is clean. The combined swell energy is up at 490, which is a solid, moderate push. There’s decent shape and the sets will have some weight. Get on it early before that afternoon cross-shore breeze messes with it.

After a couple of average days—Monday is small and weak, and Tuesday is a flat, confused mess with a poor 5-second windswell—we get another shining window.

Wednesday, September 16 is a sneaky good one. The swell drops a bit to 3ft but picks up a nice 8-second period. The wind is dead glassy out of the NW, so the surface is going to be like a mirror. Combined energy is a moderate 238, and it’s clean, clean, clean. This is a great morning for a longboard session when the tide lines up right.

Then, hold onto your boards, because Thursday, September 17 is the standout of the first week. Overnight the swell jumps to 5ft from the NNW with an 11-second period, and it’s looking at a combined energy of 504. The wind is light and glassy from the south in the morning. This is the pick of the run so far – proper clean surf, good size, and that long-period groundswell energy will be lining up nicely. This one’s for the intermediates; the 5ft is manageable but has some punch.

The weekend after that gets a bit mixed. Friday the 18th is small though glassy, but Saturday the 19th is another cracker. We’ve got 4ft of NNW swell with a 13-second period, and the morning is dead calm with zero wind. Combined energy is 533, making it strong and clean. This could equal or even beat Thursday, but it’s further out, so treat it as promising, not guaranteed. Sunday the 20th pushes up to 5ft, but the morning has a cross-shore wind that will put some ripples on it. The size is there, but the shine is off.

Moving into the second week, the long-range stuff is bigger but messier. Monday the 21st has 4ft with a cross-shore breeze – average. Tuesday the 22nd sees the swell drop to 2ft in the morning, but the period is a very long 19 seconds, so the energy is lurking. The afternoon, though, is a different story – it jumps to 4ft with a 16-second period and the energy reading hits a strong 1048. This is powerful, long-period groundswell. But the moderate cross-shore wind is going to chop it up. For a point break like La Nora, the long period is generally a good thing, but that wind is the enemy.

Wednesday, September 24 is the biggest day of the whole outlook. The swell builds to a solid 7ft from the NNW on Thursday afternoon and the combined energy is a very strong 1341. Now, at this size, we’re firmly in expert territory. This is powerful, heavy stuff that will be a handful. The wind is light, which will help, but 7ft of NW groundswell is not a day to be messing around if you’re not on your game.

The tail end of the run has Friday the 25th still big, with 6ft and energy at 1081, but it’s tapering. It’s still a GG for the experienced crew. The winds are light, which is good, but the swell is still significant.

Finally, on Saturday, September 26, it all drops back down. We’re looking at a fun, clean 3ft with a 10-second period and a light, variable wind. It’s a really nice way to end the outlook.

So, the two standouts are Sunday the 13th for the first big clean pulse, and Thursday the 17th, which looks like the best overall day for quality, clean surf. The Thursday call is more reliable, being closer. Saturday the 19th is a promising long-range gem, but keep your expectations in check this far out.

As for the water, it’s about average for this time of year at La Nora, so nothing wild there. Just be ready for the bigger stuff late in the run. If you’re a beginner, the windows on Wednesday the 16th and Saturday the 26th are your friends. If you’re an expert, start circling the 24th on your calendar.

Rusty out.

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