La Preciosa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, checking in on the next couple of weeks for La Preciosa. Honestly, right now the outlook is a bit of a tough one. The water is sitting at 83°F, which is about average for this time of year, so at least you’ll be warm out there. But the waves? We’ve got a long stretch of pretty ordinary conditions ahead.

Starting from Wednesday, July 15th, and all the way through to the end of the week, it’s pretty grim. We’re looking at small, short-period windswell from the east, mostly around 3 ft to 4 ft, with a period of just 6 to 8 seconds. That’s weak, choppy energy with combined swell energy values ranging from 92 up to 129 (weak to low-moderate). The wind is a steady cross-off from the east at 16 to 19 mph, which is keeping the surf clean but not making for any real quality. The forecast is calling it “poor surf conditions” all week, and I have to agree – it’s not worth paddling out for.

The weekend of July 18th and 19th looks a little bigger, with swell heights up to 5 ft, and the energy bumps up a bit (206 on Saturday morning, 170 on Sunday afternoon), but it’s still the same short-period, cross-off wind setup. The sets will be messy and lack shape. It’s still a “poor surf conditions” call.

The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t pop up until Monday, July 20th, and even then it’s only a “marginal” call. Swell height hits 5 ft from the east, period is still short at 7 seconds, and the wind remains cross-off. The combined energy is up to 207 (moderate), but the wave quality just isn’t there. It’s a spot where you might get a few if you’re desperate, but it’s nothing to get excited about.

After that, we slide back into a long, flat run of “poor surf conditions” from Tuesday, July 21st, right through to the end of the month. For the entire second week, the swell stays small (4 ft to 5 ft), period short (6 to 8 seconds), and the wind stays cross-off from the east or ESE. The combined energy fluctuates between 108 and 296 (weak to moderate), but every single session is marked as “poor” or “marginal” at best. The only real standout in terms of energy is the morning of Thursday, July 30th, with a combined energy of 296 (moderate), but again, it’s a short-period east swell with cross-off winds.

For a reef break that’s very consistent and exposed to the north swell, the direction we’re getting from the east is not the optimum. The short period and constant cross-off wind mean the waves are going to be bumpy and weak. Honestly, this whole 16-day window is a write-off for quality surfing. It’s the kind of stretch where you’d be better off saving the wax and waiting for a better forecast.

Rusty.

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