La Palue Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here. Grab a coffee, because the next couple of weeks are looking pretty quiet for us. Honestly, there’s not a whole lot to get excited about in the immediate future. The only spot we’ve got on the radar for the entire 16-day window is La Palue, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag. This is a deep-water, exposed spot that’s strictly for experts, so don’t even think about it if you’re not comfortable in heavy, critical waves. The water is sitting at a balmy 66°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – you might not need the full 5/4.

The forecast really only starts to show a pulse from Tuesday 7 July afternoon, but honestly, that first one is a write-off: only 2ft of weak, short-period swell (8 seconds) coming from the west, and a cross-onshore wind is just chopping it all up. The energy is low at 63, so it’s a big pass.

We get a bit of a tease on Wednesday 8 July morning. The swell bumps up slightly to 3ft from the WNW, with a solid 10-second period – that’s decent energy for the size. More importantly, the wind goes glassy, dead calm. The combined energy hits 109. If you’re an expert who likes a tiny log or a fun little wave, that’s your window. But it’s short-lived because by the afternoon, the wind swings cross-shore and the conditions turn sour.

Thursday 9 July morning offers a bit of hope with a clean cross-offshore breeze and similar 3ft WNW swell, but the score is low. It just doesn't have the power to get interesting.

Friday 10 July morning is probably the closest thing we have to a standout. You get a clean 3ft swell from the WNW with a 9-second period and a light offshore wind out of the east. The combined energy hits 162, which is the highest we see in the whole run. It’s small, but it’s the cleanest, most organised wave of the whole outlook. Again, steep take-offs for experts only.

After that, it’s a long, frustrating run. From Saturday 11 July right through to Wednesday 22 July, we’re looking at small, weak, or poorly-directed swell with very little to recommend. The energy drops right off into the low double digits by mid-month, with periods of cross-shore and cross-onshore winds. There’s a tiny 0.3ft blip from the SW on Monday 13 July morning with a very long 19-second period and fresh offshore wind, but it’s not enough to paddle for. That’s a 10-day gap where you’re better off doing something else. The last entry on Wednesday 22 July afternoon shows a jump to 3ft from the WNW, but period is a short 5 seconds and it’s choppy. Not worth the paddle.

So, bottom line: if you’re an expert and you’re desperate, the Friday 10 July morning session is the only real call. For everyone else, this is a classic blank period for the area. Give it a few days – forecasts can change, but right now, it’s pretty flat.

Stay salty,
Rusty.

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