La Zenia Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m gonna be straight with you – this is a bleak stretch for La Zenia. We’re looking at a solid 16-day forecast and honestly, there’s barely a pulse in the water. The first real chance to even consider a paddle doesn’t come until Saturday, the 1st of August.

The whole first week is a write-off. From the 24th of July through to the 31st, it’s the same story day after day: tiny swell, weak energy, and messy wind. You’ll see a few early mornings with glassy conditions, like on Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th, but the swell is just too small to do anything with – we’re talking knee-high slop at best. The combined energy barely scratches double digits most days, often sitting below 40 (weak energy). It’s frustrating because the water is running much warmer than normal for this time of year, but that doesn’t help when there’s no waves.

Finally, on the morning of Saturday the 1st of August, we get a sniff of something. It’s still not great, but the wind swings around to a light cross-offshore from the north, cleaning things up. The swell picks up to about 3 ft from the ESE with a period of 6 seconds. The combined energy climbs to 69 (weak energy). It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The crowd factor at La Zenia is often an issue, so even on a mediocre day like this, expect a few heads in the water.

Sunday the 2nd of August morning looks glassy again, but the swell drops back to 2 ft with a short 5-second period, and the energy is down to 23. It’s a flat, weak pulse.

After that, from Monday the 3rd of August onwards, the whole bottom drops out. Swell heights crater to 0.7 ft and 1.0 ft, periods drop to 3 or 4 seconds, and the combined energy is barely a whisper – often just 1 or 2 (weak energy). There’s a few clean mornings in there, like Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th, but with no swell to speak of, it’s strictly a swimming or snorkeling day.

The best of a bad bunch is the morning of Saturday the 1st of August. That’s your one window. The conditions are clean, the swell is small but rideable for a longboard or a foamie, and the water is warm. But don’t expect any power or push. It’s a low-energy, short-period windswell, so it’ll be lumpy and weak.

For a break that’s exposed and inconsistent like La Zenia, a blank run like this isn’t unusual. It’s a tough period, but forecasts can change. Keep an eye on the wind charts.

Rusty.

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