La Palue Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for La Palue.

First thing you need to know is that the opening days of the forecast are pretty grim. We’ve got a solid swell showing up, but the wind is just wrecking it. Thursday and Friday are a write-off – cross-onshore winds and choppy, messy conditions. It’s frustrating, because there’s energy in the water, but it’s not rideable for a paddle surfer.

The real standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, is the Saturday morning (5th September). This is the best on offer, no question. The wind swings offshore from the ENE, light at 6 mph, and the sky is clear. The swell is a solid 7 ft from the WNW, with a period of 13 seconds – that’s proper groundswell, with real punch and shape. The combined energy is a very strong 1308. This is excellent surf, but it’s for experienced surfers only. At that size, it’s not for the faint-hearted. The swell direction isn’t a perfect match for the optimum WSW, but with that offshore wind and that energy, it’s going to be clean and powerful. Expect some crowds because it’s a consistent spot.

The Saturday afternoon session is a let-down after that morning. The wind goes cross-shore and the quality drops right off with a marginal tide call.

Sunday morning (6th September) holds a small window of clean surf. The swell drops to 3 ft from the WNW with a 10-second period, and we get a light cross-offshore breeze from the SE. It’s clean, but the energy is weak (195). It’s a good option for a longboard or a beginner, but not a standout.

After that, it’s a long dry spell. From Sunday afternoon all the way through the following week, it’s a mess. The wind is either onshore or cross-onshore, often strong, and the swell is either too big and blown out, or choppy and weak. The water temperature is about average for the time of year.

There’s a little glimmer on the Saturday morning (12th September). The wind goes dead glassy, calm, from the ENE at 0 mph. The swell is tiny, only 3 ft from the west with a short 8-second period, and the energy is weak (145). It’s surfable but very ordinary. If you’re desperate for a glassy session, it’s the only one in the window.

The longer-range stuff around the 14th and 15th September brings some big, long-period swell (14 seconds), but the wind is again onshore or cross-onshore, so it’s going to be a lumpy, blown-out mess. Not worth the drive.

So, to wrap it up: the clear winner is Saturday morning, 5th September. Get on it early. Everything else is a compromise or a miss. For a spot that’s this exposed, the wind just has to play ball, and for most of this forecast, it simply doesn’t.

Rusty.

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