La Torche Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

Straight up, this is a tough block of time for the waves at La Torche. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor surf with not much to get excited about. The first real chance for a wave doesn’t show up until the morning of Thursday, the 20th, and even then it’s a struggle. The pattern is dominated by messy, choppy conditions with a lot of cross and cross-onshore wind, making it hard to find anything clean.

The first few days are a write-off. Friday, August 14th, through to Wednesday, August 19th, is a total bust. The wind is mostly cross or cross-on, the swell is small and weak, and the energy is low. For example, Friday morning has a weak 3 ft swell from the west with a period of 9 seconds, but the 12 mph NNW cross-breeze puts a chop on it. The combined energy is only 141, which is weak. It’s just not worth paddling out.

Thursday, August 20th, morning finally offers a glimmer. The wind turns light cross-offshore from the NNE at 9 mph, cleaning things up nicely. The swell is a knee-high 3 ft from the northwest with an 8-second period, and the combined energy is 172. It’s weak, but at least it’s clean. The water temp is sitting at 67°, which is about normal for the time of year, so no surprises there. It’s surfable, but very ordinary.

From there, it goes back into the bin for several more days. Friday, August 21st, through to Monday, August 24th, is a mix of cross-on wind, very small swell, and even a spell of near gale-force winds. Not a single standout in that lot.

Then, a couple of interesting blips show up late in the forecast. On Wednesday, August 26th, the morning looks clean again with light offshore wind from the east at 6 mph, and a small 2 ft swell from the west-northwest with a 10-second period. The combined energy is 114, so still weak. But the real head-turner is the afternoon of that same day. We get a building 8 ft swell from the west with a 9-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 901. That’s moderate energy, but the wind is light and onshore, making it marginal. Not ideal, but it’s the biggest swell we’ve seen.

The stand-out potential, however, is on Thursday, August 27th, afternoon. The swell is a solid 7 ft from the west-southwest with an 8-second period, with a combined energy of 632. The wind is a gentle cross-shore from the south-southwest at 9 mph, keeping it in the game. That’s a decent size and with only a slight cross-chop, it could be the best of the lot. It’s getting up there in size – over 8 ft it’s really only for the experienced crew, so keep that in mind.

Then, the final days of the forecast, August 28th and 29th, see a massive spike in swell. The energy numbers go through the roof – 4041, 6800, 5148 – but the wind is howling from the north-northwest, cross and cross-on, making it a full-on lumpy mess. That’s kite-surfing territory, not a paddle surfer’s friend.

So, to wrap it up: the best on offer is the Thursday, August 27th, afternoon session, with that 7 ft west-southwest swell and reasonable wind. The Wednesday, August 26th, afternoon is a close second for the size, but the onshore wind is a letdown. The Thursday, August 20th, morning is the only clean, small wave option in the first week. Keep your expectations low, and maybe keep an eye on the long-range forecasts—things can change.

Rusty.

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