La Preciosa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s on the cards for La Preciosa over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – this run looks pretty bleak for a good chunk of the time, but there might be a glimmer of hope if you’re patient.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a long, frustrating gap. The first real chance of anything decent doesn’t show up until Wednesday the 12th of August, and even then it’s only a marginal call. Before that, from the start of the period, it’s a whole lot of nothing. For over a week, we’re looking at poor surf conditions day after day. The swell is small and weak, mostly from the east with short periods around 7 to 8 seconds. The wind is a constant cross-off from the east or east-southeast, blowing at 12 to 19 mph, which keeps the surface messy and the waves unappealing. Wave energy is mostly in the low to moderate range (between 68 and 245), which just isn’t enough to get excited about. You’d be wasting your time paddling out.

The first sign of life comes on the morning of Wednesday the 12th. We’ve got a 5 ft swell from the east, period of 7 seconds, but the conditions are still marginal. The energy climbs a bit to 205, but it’s a risk of thunderstorms and the wind is still moderate. It’s not a goer yet.

Then, on Friday the 14th of August, things start to shift. In the morning, we finally get offshore wind from the east-southeast at 19 mph. That’s the wind we want. The swell is 5 ft from the east, period 8 seconds, and the energy jumps to 258. It’s still rated as marginal, but that clean offshore wind is a major positive. Then the afternoon gets even more interesting. The wind swings around to a gentle south at 9 mph, becoming a light cross-off. The swell holds at 5 ft from the east, period 7 seconds, and the energy is 246. This is the first time we see a rating of “expect good surf conditions.” It’s not huge, but for this spot, that’s the standout session of the whole forecast.

After that, it gets a bit lumpy again. Saturday the 15th has a bigger swell (5 ft, 8 seconds, 289 energy) but the cross-off wind is back up to 19 mph, so the quality drops. The real kicker might be Sunday the 16th. The swell builds to 6 ft in the morning and then 8 ft in the afternoon from the east, with periods of 8 seconds. The energy jumps to a strong 435 and then a very strong 692. That’s a serious amount of juice. But it’s still cross-off wind at 16 mph, so it’s only a marginal forecast. That size (8 ft) is getting into expert territory, and the period is still short, so it’ll be a bit of a wall. Keep an eye on it, but don’t expect perfection.

Best Bet: If you’ve got to pick a window, make it the afternoon of Friday the 14th. It’s not a classic, but that light wind and clean conditions at 5 ft from the east offer the best chance of a fun session. The swell is moderate and the direction is on the money. Keep in mind, La Preciosa (Costa Rica) can get crowded sometimes, so it might be worth checking your spot early. The water temperature is sitting around 84°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so no worries there.

As for the long-range stuff on Sunday the 16th, that bigger swell is promising but the wind needs to cooperate. Right now, it’s a bit of a gamble. That’s all I’ve got for now.

Rusty.

Read more