La Palue Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way.

First off, I gotta be straight with you – the next week and a half is looking pretty grim. There’s a long stretch of poor conditions and small, messy swell, so don’t get your hopes up for anything decent until we get past the end of July. The first real standout is a long way off, but it’s a beauty.

We’re starting with Friday morning, 24 July, at La Palue. There’s a tiny 0.7ft swell from the west with a weak 8-second period, and only 6 units of combined swell energy. The wind is light offshore from the east-northeast, so it’s clean, but there’s just no wave to ride. The water is sitting at 65°, which is about normal for this time of year. The afternoon gets worse – a cross-shore northerly wind kicks up to 19 mph, and the swell is a pathetic 2ft with a 3-second period. Total washout.

Saturday (25 July) and Sunday (26 July) are more of the same: cross-onshore winds and small, lumpy, weak swell. The swell picks up a bit on Sunday morning to 5ft from the west-northwest, but with a strong onshore wind at 19 mph, it’s just a mess. The combined energy hits 228 (moderate), but the wind ruins it.

Monday 27 July morning has a little hope – 5ft from the west-northwest with a 10-second period, giving 470 units of moderate energy, and the wind is light and offshore from the west-southwest. The comment says it’s marginal, but I’d call it a low-quality, wind-affected possibility. The afternoon goes to crap again.

Tuesday 28 July morning is the first real glimmer: glassy conditions with a 3ft west-northwest swell, 9-second period, and 184 units of energy. It’s clean, but only 3ft – so it’s a small, ordinary day. The rest of the week stays small and mostly onshore or choppy.

Now, here’s the standout. On the morning of Saturday, 1 August – that’s a week from Saturday – La Palue comes alive. We’re looking at a solid 7ft swell from the west, with a nice long 12-second period, and a massive 1256 units of combined swell energy (strong to very strong). The wind is glassy from the southwest, just 3 mph. This is excellent surf, but it’s for experienced surfers only – 7ft is big, and with that long period, watch out for the power. The break is a beach setup, so a long-period west swell can be a bit straight, but the glassy conditions and size make it the best session on offer. Crowds are often a thing here, but with this quality, expect company.

The Saturday afternoon sees the wind shift to a cross-shore northerly at 12 mph, so the morning is the window.

Sunday 2 August morning drops to 5ft with a cross-onshore wind, and the next week is a frustrating mix of onshore winds and building but messy swell. There’s a pulse of 6ft on Tuesday 4 August morning, but with a strong cross-onshore wind, it’s choppy and lumpy. Not worth it.

Overall, the first 7 days are a write-off. The real gem is the morning of Saturday, 1 August. If you’re an expert, get on it. For everyone else, keep waiting.

Rusty.

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