La Preciosa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what we’ve got on the horizon.

First up, the water at La Preciosa is sitting at 84°F, which is right on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

To be straight with you, the next week and a half is pretty grim. From Thursday the 6th of August right through to Monday the 17th of August, the surf is just poor. We’ve got consistent swell rolling in – mostly around the 3ft to 6ft range out of the ENE to E – but the problem is the period is short, mostly 7 to 8 seconds. That’s weak, choppy windswell. The combined energy stays in the weak-to-moderate range (under 500), and on top of that, the wind is a steady cross-offshore breeze blowing 12 to 19 mph. That’s keeping the surface bumpy and the waves messy. Not worth paddling out for. There’s a gap of about 12 days of poor surf before we see any real hope.

Now, the standout – and it’s a true one – arrives on Tuesday the 18th of August. Overnight the swell jumps. Tuesday morning we’re looking at 10ft out of the E with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy hits 1424, which is strong. That’s a proper pulse. Tuesday afternoon drops a bit to 8ft, but the energy actually climbs to 1687. That’s serious grunt. This is expert territory though – anything over 8ft is only for the crew with serious experience. The wind is a moderate breeze out of the ESE to E at 12 to 16 mph, still cross-off, so it won’t be glassy, but it’ll be rideable for the skilled. The break itself is a reef and it’s very consistent, so it’ll be handling that energy well.

Wednesday the 19th of August morning is the next best call. Swell drops back to 6ft out of the E at 8 seconds (energy 379), but here’s the key: the wind turns offshore out of the ESE at 12 mph. That means clean, groomed faces. The report says “expect good surf conditions” and the score is the highest we’ve seen. This is the window for a session if you’re after quality over size.

After that, Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st fade back to poor, marginal junk.

Bottom line: don’t waste your time until the big pulse on the 18th if you’re an expert, or the clean offshore morning on the 19th for a more manageable, cleaner wave. Keep an eye on that Tuesday/Wednesday window – that’s the only real chance of something special.

Rusty.

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