La Preciosa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what La Preciosa has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.

First up, the water temp is sittin’ at a warm 85°, which is about 1° warmer than normal for this time of year – so nothin’ too wild, just your typical tropical bathwater.

To be honest, this forecast is a long, frustrating stretch of nearly nothing. For the first nine days, from Wednesday the 9th right through to the morning of Thursday the 24th, the surf is just plain poor. You’ll see small, short-period windswell – mostly around 3ft to 5ft from the east, but with periods stuck at 6 to 8 seconds, and the energy levels are weak to moderate at best (values between 93 and 313). The issue? The wind stays cross-offshore or straight side-shore almost the entire time, with gusts hitting 19 mph, which just trashes any chance of a clean face. Even on Friday morning the 11th, when we finally get a proper offshore breeze (12 mph from the ESE), the swell is only 5ft and the period’s just 8 seconds. The wave energy sits at 267 (moderate), but the conditions are only rated as “expect good surf conditions” for that one session. Honestly, for a spot that’s very consistent and exposed to the north, it’s a frustrating wait.

There’s a light at the end of the tunnel though. On Tuesday the 22nd and Wednesday the 23rd, the swell direction swings around to the north and north-northeast, which is a good angle for this break. The period jumps to 9–10 seconds, and while the height drops to a more modest 2ft to 3ft, the energy readings hit a moderate 102 to 183. Still, the wind stubbornly stays cross-offshore, so it’s not going to be glassy perfection. The real standout – and the only one worth circling on your calendar – is Thursday morning the 24th. We’ve got a light breeze (6 mph from the east) putting a clean cross-off wind on 2ft east-northeast swell with a 10-second period. The energy is moderate at 116, and for the first time in two weeks, it’s rated as “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” That’s the best we get, folks. It’s not a classic, but it’s a paddler.

La Preciosa is an advanced reef break that is very consistent, but crowds are sometimes an issue. Given how small the swell is for the whole window, it won’t be a zoo. Late-period (10 seconds) groundswell with a north angle can sometimes break straight at beach breaks, but on a reef like this it should offer better shape, with longer lulls between sets making it easier to get out back.

Short story: wait until the 24th. That’s your one window. Everything else is a write-off.

Rusty.

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