La Paloma Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at the next couple of weeks for La Paloma.

Right out of the gate, it’s pretty quiet. The first few days are a write-off for anything decent. We’ve got a bit of weak swell showing up mid-week, but it’s small and messy. The real story starts to build next week, but we’ve got to sit through a flat spell first.

So, Tuesday the 4th? Nothing doing. The water is 69°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, but that’s about the only thing going for it. A tiny 3ft NW windswell with a period of just 4 seconds and combined energy of only 49 (weak) is barely a ripple, and it’s onshore to boot.

Wednesday morning the 5th is a bit better – a glassy 2ft NW swell pushes the period up to 10 seconds, energy gets to 92 (still weak). The conditions are clean, but it’s just too small to get excited about. The score is a 1, which says it all.

The rest of the week and into the weekend is a frustrating mix of tiny swells and poor wind directions. There’s a little pulse on Thursday morning the 6th hitting 4ft from the NNW, period at 8 seconds and energy at 166 (moderate), but the wind is cross-offshore. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. By Friday the 7th we’re back down to 2ft.

We hit a proper lull from Saturday the 8th through to Monday the 10th. Swell sizes drop right off, with periods all over the place and energy levels bottoming out in the 30-80 range. It’s a dead zone.

Now, things finally start to look up. Tuesday morning the 11th is the first real glimmer of hope. We get a 3ft NNW swell, period of 10 seconds, and the energy jumps to 206 (moderate). The wind is glassy, dead calm. The forecast says “expect good surf conditions” and that’s the first time we’ve heard that all week. It’s a small, clean wave for the intermediates. The only downside? Crowds are often here, so get there early.

That window is short-lived. The afternoon of the 11th gets a cross-on wind and the quality drops. Wednesday the 12th is back to tiny, glassy but tiny.

Then we get another gap. Thursday the 13th is a total blank with 1.0ft energy around 22. Friday the 14th morning shows a bit more size – 3ft from the NNW, period 11 seconds, energy 247 (moderate) – but that cross-on wind just kills it. The afternoon gets a bit bigger at 4ft, but it’s still poor.

Saturday the 15th morning has a 4ft NNW swell, period 10 seconds, energy 308 (moderate). The wind is cross-on from the west, which is a bit better, but the forecast says it’s marginal. The afternoon brings a risk of thunderstorms and onshore wind, so it’s a no-go.

The real standout, the one worth circling on the calendar, is the middle of the following week. Tuesday the 18th is when the ocean wakes up. The morning brings a solid 6ft NW swell, period 10 seconds, and the energy shoots up to 774 (strong). The wind is light cross-shore, which is workable. The afternoon holds 6ft from the NW, period 11 seconds, energy 949 (strong), with light onshore wind. It’s not perfect, but that’s the biggest, most powerful swell we’ve seen all period.

Wednesday the 19th is the big one. Morning: 8ft from the NNW, period 10 seconds, energy a massive 1221 (very strong). The wind is light cross-shore from the NE. That’s a serious groundswell. The afternoon is similar at 8ft with energy 1022. Look, this is expert territory. Anything over 8ft is for the brave, and 8ft is right on the edge. The period is right around 10 seconds, so it’s got punch but not the super-long lines that make it tricky. La Paloma is an exposed beach break, and with that much energy, it’s going to be a heavy, powerful beast. The wind is manageable, but it’s not clean offshore. For the average surfer, this is a watch-and-decide day. For the experienced crew, it’s the best chance of the whole two weeks for a proper session.

So, to sum it up: this forecast is a slow burn. The first 10 days are mostly a bust. The only real bright spots are the clean but small Tuesday morning the 11th, and the much bigger, more powerful window around Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th. The 19th morning is the best of the lot, but it’s for experts only. If you’re a beginner, give that week a miss.

Rusty.

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