La Preciosa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch ahead. The first week and a half is pretty much a write-off. From Saturday the 8th right through to Sunday the 16th, the conditions are just nasty. We’ve got a solid, consistent cross-offshore wind blowing from the east at 16 mph most days, and the swell is a messy, short-period windswell coming in from the east-northeast or east. The water’s about average for this time of year, but who cares when the waves are that gutless. The wave energy is weak to moderate, but it’s all wind chop. There’s no clean face to work with, and the wind is just tearing it up. Even the “morning” slots are getting knocked around by moderate breezes. I’m seeing a few marginal scores, but honestly, nothing worth paddling out for.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Tuesday morning, the 18th of August. We get a jump in the swell period to 11 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy – and the height bumps up to 6 ft from the east. The wave energy picks up to 717, which is the best we’ve seen. The wind is still cross-off from the east, but it’s a lighter 9 mph, which is a *gentle breeze*. This is our standout. It’s a reef break, so it’s got the structure to handle that longer-period swell, and it’s very consistent. The wind is still not perfect, but it’s the cleanest window we’ve got. The swell is over 5 ft, so it’s not for the beginners, but for the advanced crew that know La Preciosa, this is the session to circle. Keep in mind, the swell is coming from the east, which is a bit off the optimum north direction, but the energy is there.

After that, it fades fast. Wednesday the 19th drops to 4 ft and the period shrinks. By Thursday the 20th, it’s back to tiny, weak waves. The last few days of the outlook show a bit of a chop from the north-east, but with poor ratings and messy conditions. There’s a little offshore wind on Friday the 21st, but it’s only 1 ft to 3 ft – not enough to ride.

So, the bottom line is this: the 18th of August is your best bet. If you can wait, it’s a promising window. The rest of the run is a write-off, with a big gap of poor conditions from the start until that Tuesday. Hang in there.

- Rusty

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