Playa de San Lorenzo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for us at Playa de San Lorenzo.

Look, if you're itching to paddle out right now, you’re going to be disappointed. The forecast is a bit of a slow burn. We’ve got a real quiet stretch ahead, with hardly anything worth the wetsuit struggle for almost a week. The water temp is sitting at a warm 69°, which is a full 4° above normal – feels more like summer than it should.

For the next several days, from Saturday the 4th through to Thursday the 9th, it’s mostly small, weak swell with poor wind. We’re talking knee-high slop, combined wave energy barely cracking three digits (as low as 22). The winds are mostly cross or cross-onshore, and the surf quality is just grim. Not worth the drive.

Now, Friday the 10th of July morning is a tease. The swell bumps up a bit to 3ft from the NW, period at 10 seconds, and we get glassy conditions. The combined energy jumps to 115 (moderate). It’s surfable, but it’s still only “very ordinary.” You might get a few fun ones if you’re desperate, but don’t expect much.

The real story starts brewing on Saturday the 11th of July. The swell picks up to 3ft from the NW, period stretches to 11 seconds, and the energy climbs to 277 – that’s moderate but building. It's still light cross-onshore wind, so it's not perfect. The guidance says this break is fairly exposed to swell, which is good, and the optimum direction is NW, so the angle is right. But the wind is the catch.

Sunday the 12th of July morning is where things get interesting. The swell jumps to 6ft from the NW, period at 9 seconds, and combined energy hits a massive 1001. That is strong wave energy. This is no longer beginner territory – 6ft is getting solid. The wind is light cross-onshore, but the power is there. It’s still only rated as marginal due to the wind, but you can feel the ocean waking up.

The standout – Monday the 13th of July. This is the one to circle on the calendar. Both morning and afternoon are glassy – that’s a full-on green light for clean conditions. The swell is 7ft from the NW, period around 8-9 seconds. This is overhead, proper size. Combined energy is 811 (strong). The winds are glass, which means no chop, clean faces. For an intermediate surfer, this is going to be some of the best surf in the whole 16-day window. Just be aware that at 7ft, it’s getting solid and is better for experienced paddlers. Given that this break is consistent and often crowded, expect plenty of company. The swell direction (NW) matches the optimum, so the break should be working well.

After that magic Monday, Tuesday the 14th of July sees the swell drop back to 4ft, with glassy conditions in the morning, but the energy is only 225 (moderate) and the wind turns cross-onshore by the afternoon. The rest of the week after the 14th drops right off again, back to tiny surf (1ft to 3ft) with weak energy and onshore winds. The final weekend (18th-19th July) is flat and not worth a second look.

So, bottom line: suffer through the first week of tiny, choppy junk. The swell finally builds on the weekend of the 11th-12th, but the real gem is Monday the 13th of July at Playa de San Lorenzo – glassy, 7ft NW swell, strong energy. That’s your session. Don’t miss it.

Rusty.

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