La Preciosa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. I’ve been staring at the charts for La Preciosa, and I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough one. The next 16 days are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle session.

Let’s start with the lay of the land. La Preciosa is a reef break, advanced-level, and it’s very consistent at picking up swell. It loves the wind from the southeast, and it needs a northerly swell direction to really sing. The water temp is sitting at 83°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The problem is, the swell is coming from the east, not the north. That’s a big mismatch. On top of that, the wind is a cross-offshore breeze from the east and southeast, blowing at 12 to 18 mph. That’s not helping. The wave energy is generally weak, with the combined energy of all swells directed here sitting at just 105 on Tuesday morning, 28 July, and dropping even lower most days.

We are looking at a long dry spell. The first real chance of anything even remotely rideable is on Thursday morning, 30 July. The swell is 5 ft from the east, with a period of 7 seconds. That’s a short-period, weak swell. The combined energy jumps to 243 (moderate), but the forecast is “marginal” with questionable tide conditions. The wind is still a cross-off at 16 mph. It’s a bit of a tease, but it’s not a green light.

Friday morning, 31 July, is a repeat of that – 5 ft, east, 8-second period, and a combined energy of 284. Still just a “marginal” call. And the wind is still there, though slightly lighter at 16 mph.

After that, it’s a long, flat, and windy slog. The swell drops to 4 ft or less, the period tanks to 6 or 7 seconds, and the energy levels fall back into the weak range (often under 200). The wind stays up in the 12-18 mph range, blowing cross-off. Every single session from the afternoon of Thursday, 30 July, all the way through to Wednesday, 12 August, is marked as “poor surf conditions.” That’s a massive gap of nearly two weeks with nothing to recommend.

Honestly, for this entire 16-day window, there is no standout. Not one session that I’d be excited about. The combination of the wrong swell direction, persistent cross-offshore breeze, and short, weak swell energy means the setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. You’d be fighting the wind and the chop. It’s a real bummer, but sometimes the ocean just doesn’t cooperate. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d keep the board in the garage.

Rusty.

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