La Palue Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me take a look at what’s happening for La Palue over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a rough start. Sunday the 30th through to most of the first week is looking pretty average. The swell is there, but the wind is just a constant issue. We’ve got a moderate to strong cross-onshore wind from the southwest and west-northwest, and that’s just chopping everything up. The water’s sitting at about 66°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but you won’t be enjoying it much with that messy surface.

Sunday the 30th has a 5 ft swell from the west at 9 seconds, but the cross-on wind is just making it sloppy. Combined energy is 435 (moderate), but the quality is poor. Monday the 31st actually sees the swell jump up to 10 ft from the west with a 10-second period, and the energy is strong at 1545, but again, the cross-on wind from the WNW at 12 mph just ruins it. This is expert-only territory at that size, but the chop makes it a real battle.

The whole first week is like that – a few smaller swells around 3 ft to 6 ft, but the wind never really lets up. There’s a window on Tuesday morning the 1st with a 4 ft swell from the WNW and lighter winds, but it’s still cross-on. Not worth getting too excited about.

Now, we gotta wait until Sunday the 6th of September for things to finally clean up. That morning, we get a light cross-offshore breeze from the southeast at just 3 mph. The swell is a modest 4 ft from the WNW at 9 seconds, but with that clean surface, it’s suddenly a much better prospect. The energy is low at 286, but for a fun, small-wave session, this is your first real chance. Monday the 7th morning is very similar – 5 ft from the west at 10 seconds, with a light cross-offshore wind from the south-southeast. Clean again, and probably the better of those two mornings.

The big one – the standout – is shaping up for Saturday the 12th of September. That morning, we’ve got a 8 ft swell from the west-northwest at 10 seconds, and the wind is pure offshore from the east-southeast at just 3 mph. The energy is strong at 1011, and the conditions are excellent for experienced surfers. This is a good, solid groundswell with a decent period – the kind that will be offering some proper shape at La Palue. It’s an exposed spot, and this swell direction (WNW) is right in its wheelhouse. Just be aware, this is an expert break, and the crowd factor is “often,” so you won’t be alone.

Sunday the 13th has even bigger swell – 12 ft from the WNW – and it’s offshore again, but that’s getting into too-big territory for this break. Only for the very experienced and strong paddlers. Later in the second week, Monday the 14th has a 7 ft swell with a clean cross-offshore wind, but the wind is a fresh 19 mph, which will make things a bit wild.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off thanks to the wind. The best windows are the mornings of Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th for small clean waves, but the real standout is Saturday the 12th of September – that offshore morning with a solid 8 ft swell is your best bet.

Rusty.

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