La Preciosa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for La Preciosa over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, I’m looking at this run and it’s a bit of a heartbreaker. La Preciosa is a reef setup, exposed to the north for that optimum swell, and it’s a very consistent wave. But the wind is just not playing ball for most of the outlook. The water temp is sitting at a warm 84°, which is about normal for this time of year, so that’s something.

For the first week, from Tuesday the 4th through to Sunday the 10th of August, it’s a long stretch of poor surf conditions. The wind is mostly cross-off from the east, and while the wave heights stay small, up to around 4 ft, the energy is low. The combined swell energy is sitting between 77 and 163 (moderate at best), and the period is short, only 6 to 8 seconds, so it’s just weak, wind-affected slop. There’s nothing to get excited about here.

Now, the second week starts to show a bit more size, but the wind stays stubbornly cross-off. From Monday the 11th to Thursday the 14th, the swell builds a little, with heights reaching 5 ft to 6 ft, and the energy climbs into the 200s and 300s (moderate), but the period is still just 7 to 8 seconds. The wind is a strong 19 mph from the east, so it’s still messy. By Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th, the swell is pushing 6 ft but the ratings are still poor. Then on Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th, things get a bit more interesting, with a marginal forecast. The swell is 5 ft to 6 ft, the energy is up around 385 (moderate), and the period ticks up to 8 seconds. Still, the wind is cross-off, not clean offshore.

The only real standout, and I mean the only one worth paddling out for, is the morning of Thursday the 6th of August. There’s a brief window with a light offshore wind from the southeast, swell just 4 ft from the ENE with a period of 7 seconds, and the energy sits at 122 (moderate). The report says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” but with that offshore breeze, it’s the cleanest we’ll see in the whole 16 days. It’s not a classic, but you might get a few fun ones if you’re patient. The morning of Tuesday the 18th of August also offers a similar setup with offshore wind again, but by then the swell is dropping to 4 ft and the energy is lower.

Beyond that, there’s a long gap of about 10 days with no real highlights. The crowds are listed as “sometimes” at La Preciosa, so on that Thursday morning, you might not have it all to yourself, but it’s worth a look.

Honestly, for the whole 16-day window, the best bet is that Thursday morning, August 6th. It’s not a standout by any stretch, but it’s the only time the stars align for clean waves. The rest is a lot of waiting.

Stay patient, the ocean will turn it around.

Rusty.

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