La Palue Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got coming down the line at La Palue. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, so we’ll have to be patient.

Right off the bat, the first chunk of the forecast is a write-off. We’ve got a solid week of poor conditions from Wednesday the 2nd through to Thursday the 10th. Cross-onshore winds, choppy water, and a messy ocean. The swell is around, hitting 5 feet on Friday the 4th with some energy in the water (combined energy of all swells directed here of 506), but the wind just destroys any chance of a good wave. For the first seven days, you’re better off staying home.

Now, there is a glimmer. Saturday morning, the 5th of September, that’s our first real standout. The wind swings around to a clean cross-offshore breeze from the ENE at only 6 mph, and the swell pushes up to 6 feet from the WNW. The period? A solid 13 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell with good energy, and the readings show a combined energy of 1042, which is strong. This is expert territory though – 6 feet with that much power isn’t for the beginners. The waves will be well-shaped and the sets will have some decent gaps, making the paddle out a bit easier. The only thing to watch is that this is an exposed spot, so the long-period swell can sometimes break a bit straight on a beach break. But with those winds, it’s going to be clean and punchy.

After that bright spot, the weekend and Monday pale in comparison. There’s some surf on the 12th of September with offshore winds from the East, but it’s smaller and the period drops back to 8 seconds – a weak, short-period windswell. Not a great option.

However, we’ve got another promising day on the horizon. Monday the 14th of September morning brings a clean offshore breeze from the ENE at 12 mph, pushing the swell back up to 5 feet from the West. The combined energy is 443 – moderate – and the period is still a short 9 seconds. It’s a good, clean option, but the real gold is on Wednesday the 16th of September. Wednesday morning is glassy. Absolutely glassy. No wind. The swell is 6 feet from the West at 11 seconds, with a combined energy of 926. This is a standout for the whole run. Very good, clean conditions for experienced surfers. If you can get out that morning, do it. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

The long-range call for Thursday the 17th also looks promising with a clean offshore wind and a 4-foot swell, but that’s a week and a half out, so treat it as a hopeful bonus rather than a sure thing.

If you’re a beginner, give Saturday the 5th and Wednesday the 16th a hard miss. Those days are for the crew with a few waves under their belt.

Rusty.

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