La Preciosa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get real about this stretch of coast.

Honestly, I’m looking at the next 16 days and it’s a tough one. We’re stuck in a pattern of small, short-period east-northeast windswell, and the wind is just never quite right. The first solid week, from Monday the 20th of July right through to Sunday the 2nd of August, is a write-off for any decent surf. The swell is weak, mostly around 3ft to 4ft, with a period of just 7 seconds – that’s windswell junk, no push, no shape. And the wind sits cross-off or cross-shore, never letting the waves get clean. The combined energy barely cracks triple digits most days (164, 176, 133, 110) – it’s just weak, messy, and frustrating. There’s a brief moment early on Wednesday the 22nd of July where the morning shows “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” but with a score that low, it’s not worth pulling the wetsuit on for.

Then we hit Monday the 27th of July. Finally, a glimmer. The morning shows a proper offshore wind from the ESE at 12 mph, and the swell bumps up a touch to 4ft from the east, with a period stretching to 8 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 187 – still moderate, but it’s a step up. This is the only window that looks like it could offer something clean. The wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” but the offshore wind is a major positive. The water temp is sitting at 83°F with a tiny anomaly of +0.7°F, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

If you’re a solid surfer and you’re desperate, Monday the 27th of July morning at La Preciosa is the only call. It’s a reef break, very consistent, and the swell is 4ft from the east, with that ESE offshore wind. It’s a glassy, clean look. But don’t expect perfection – the period is still short, and the reef needs a bit more juice to really fire. The crowds are listed as “sometimes,” so you might have a few others with the same idea.

After that, it’s back into the doldrums. Tuesday the 28th of July and Wednesday the 29th of July afternoon show marginal conditions, but the wind picks up again, and the swell stays small. The combined energy does spike to 263 on the 29th morning, but the period is still 8 seconds and the wind is cross-off – it’s energy with nowhere to go.

The last week, from the 31st of July to the 4th of August, is a flat, featureless run of 3ft to 4ft east swell with 7-second periods and fresh cross-off winds. The energy drops back to 90–180. No point in watching the charts.

So, bottom line: one morning to aim for, and that’s it. The rest is a long, frustrating gap. If you’re into kite surfing, the constant cross-off breeze and small, clean faces might be your thing, but for a paddle surfer, this is a lean run.

Rusty.

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