La Preciosa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me get a look at what’s on the cards for La Preciosa.

Straight up, this is a tough outlook. There’s a big long stretch of nothing much to get excited about here. We’ve got a good two weeks where the surf is either marginal or just plain poor, with a constant cross-off breeze that’s going to leave things a bit lumpy and uninviting for a proper paddle session. The wind is coming out of the east and east-southeast pretty much the whole time, which for this exposed reef that loves a northerly optimum, just isn’t the ticket.

It’s a real shame because this is a proper advanced reef break. When it’s on, it’s a thing of beauty. But right now, that’s not the story. Let’s break it down.

The first recommendation doesn’t come until late July, the morning of the 30th. The swell is around 5 feet from the east with a short, weak period of just 7 seconds. That’s small and junky, with only moderate energy (243) behind it. The water is a warm 83°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there. But the wind is cross-off at 16 mph, which means it’s not going to be clean. The afternoon is worse, with the wind picking up to 22 mph.

The whole of Friday, the 31st, and Saturday, the 1st of August, are the same story: small, weak swell from the east with periods of 8 seconds, and a cross-off breeze that never lets up. This is not surfable, it’s just frustrating.

Then on Sunday morning, the 2nd of August, we get a tiny flicker of something. The wind swings to offshore from the ESE at a manageable 16 mph, and we get a clean-looking window with the swell dropping to 4 feet. The energy is weak (164). The report says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” For this spot, that’s the best we’re going to get. If you’re desperate, that Sunday dawn patrol is your only real shot, but don’t expect any sort of quality. The swell direction is still off the optimum, and the period is only 8 seconds. It’s a low bar.

From Monday the 3rd of August all the way through to the 14th of August, it’s a wasteland. Swell heights bobble around 2 feet to 5 feet, but the period is constantly short (5 to 8 seconds) and the wind never gives us a real break. The combined energy values are low to moderate, topping out around 277 during that first week but dropping to as low as 9 towards the 6th. There’s not a single session in that whole stretch that I’d call good. The crowd profile says “sometimes” at La Preciosa, but honestly, with this outlook, I doubt anyone will be there.

Bottom line: La Preciosa is a top-shelf reef that demands a proper swell and clean conditions, and neither of those things are on the menu for the next two weeks. The only half-decent window is that Sunday morning, August 2nd, but it’s a consolation prize. If you want to surf, that’s the time to paddle out. Otherwise, save your energy for a better forecast.

Rusty

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