La Palue Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here.

Look, I’ll be straight with you – this 16-day window for La Palue is a bit of a tough one. The first recommendation doesn’t show up until Thursday the 23rd of July, and even then, it’s more of a “maybe you can get wet” than a proper call to grab your board. The water’s sitting at 66°, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year, so that’s at least one thing in our favour.

The first real chance to paddle out comes Thursday morning, the 23rd of July. We’ve got a tiny 2ft swell from the NNW with a short, weak period of 6 seconds. The combined energy is a weak 45, so there’s not much push behind it. The wind is light offshore from the E, which is a major positive – it’ll be glassy and clean. But honestly, the waves are going to be weak and ordinary. It’s surfable, but only just. This is an expert-only spot, so if you’re a beginner, give it a miss. Crowds are possible here.

Then we hit a long dry spell. From Thursday afternoon right through to the end of July, the conditions are poor. The wind is nearly always cross-on or onshore, chopping up the surf. The swell bumps up a bit around the 26th and 27th of July, with a 6ft to 6ft WNW swell and combined energy climbing into the moderate range (314 to 393), but the wind is a fresh cross-onshore from the NW, making it messy and lumpy. That’s not a day for a clean wave.

The best of the bunch looks to be Tuesday morning, the 28th of July. We’ve got a 5ft swell from the WNW with a longer period of 10 seconds, giving it a bit more shape and energy (combined energy of 386 – moderate). The wind is light from the NW, so it’s cross-on but with only small wind ripples. It’s still marginal – the data says the surf is poor and the tide could be a factor – but if you’re an expert and you’re keen, this is the window to watch. The longer period will help the waves hold up better than the earlier junk.

Thursday the 30th of July morning is another similar scenario: 4ft from the NW with a 9-second period and light cross-on wind. Not great, but not the worst.

The standout, if you can call it that, is Friday morning, the 31st of July. The swell is 5ft from the WNW with a 9-second period and a combined energy of 368 (moderate). The wind is light from the N, making it cross-shore and clean. This is about as good as it gets in this run – clean conditions with a little bit of size. It’s still only a marginal call due to possible tide issues, but for an expert spot like La Palue, it’s your best bet. Crowds are likely.

After that, we slide back into mediocre conditions through the first few days of August. The swell drops to around 4ft to 4ft with short periods (7-8 seconds) and cross-on winds. The 3rd of August afternoon sees a bump in energy (371) with a 5ft WNW swell, but the wind is a moderate cross-onshore from the SW, so it’s chopped up.

All in all, it’s a pretty flat 16 days for La Palue. The only real highlights are a few clean mornings with light wind and marginal swell. If you’re an expert, keep an eye on the 28th and the 31st of July. For everyone else, it might be a good time to clean the wax off your board and wait for the next proper swell.

Rusty.

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