La Zenia Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

First off, I gotta be straight with you – this stretch is looking pretty flat and quiet for a long while. The first surfable wave doesn’t show up until Tuesday, 28 July, and even then it’s tiny. The water is running about 82°, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year, so the paddle’ll be nice even if the waves aren’t.

We’ve got a big gap of nothing from now until Tuesday morning, 28 July. That’s a solid week of flatness. On Tuesday morning, 28 July, we finally see a little pulse: 3ft of swell from the ESE, with a period of just 6 seconds. That’s short-period windswell, not a groundswell, so the shape won’t be anything special. The combined energy is weak (83), and the wind is blowing from the NE at 9 mph, which is a cross-shore. It’s clean enough, but with only 3ft and a short period, the waves will be crumbly. By Tuesday afternoon, the wind swings E at 12 mph, making it cross-onshore and choppy, so the morning is your only window.

Wednesday, 29 July, looks similar. The swell drops a touch to 3ft from the ESE, period still 6 seconds, and the combined energy is moderate (51). Morning winds are NE at 6 mph, cross-shore, keeping it tidy. But again, it’s just not powerful enough to get excited about. This is a reef break so it does need a decent push to work, and it’s inconsistent, so it’s not a lock.

The best of the whole run, if you can call it that, is Tuesday, 28 July morning. The swell is 3ft from the ESE, which is actually the optimum direction for this spot (E). The glassy morning wind on Wednesday, 23 July, is a tease, but the swell was only 1ft, so completely unsurfable. The real highlight is that Tuesday morning window – the swell is the biggest we’ll see, and the NE cross-shore wind keeps it from getting messy. It’s still small and weak, so don’t expect barrels, but it’s the only time the numbers line up for a splash.

As for the rest? Thursday, 30 July, through to Wednesday, 5 August, is all tiny waves, mostly 0.7ft to 3ft, weak energy, and often onshore winds in the afternoon. The mornings occasionally have a glass-off (like Friday, 31 July morning, with 2ft from the ESE and glassy conditions), but the swell is too small and the period is too short to make it worthwhile. La Zenia is a shallow reef, and with such weak, short-period swell, it’s just not breaking with any power.

So, summary: If you’re desperate, paddle out Tuesday, 28 July morning. Otherwise, give it a miss. This is a quiet spell for the area, and it’s gonna stay that way.

Rusty.

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