Punta Prima Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve gotta tell ya straight up—this 16-day window for Punta Prima is a proper tough one. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with barely a ripple until the tail end of the month. The first real chance of anything surfable doesn’t pop up until Wednesday, July 29th, and even then it’s nothing to write home about. There’s a big gap of nothing from now until then, so don’t be holding your breath.

The water’s been sitting at a balmy 80°F, which is a whopping 5°F warmer than usual for this time of year—that’s very unusual, mate. It’s like a warm bath out there, but that’s the only thing that’s firing.

Alright, let’s run through the dates. Wednesday, July 15th, is flat with a 1 ft dribble from the east, period a short 6 seconds, and combined wave energy a weak 6. Onshore winds in the afternoon blow it out. The next few days are a write-off: Thursday the 16th, Friday the 17th, Saturday the 18th, Sunday the 19th, Monday the 20th, Tuesday the 21st, Wednesday the 22nd, Thursday the 23rd, Friday the 24th, Saturday the 25th, Sunday the 26th, Monday the 27th, and Tuesday the 28th are all showing “poor surf conditions” with scores of zero. Swell heights barely tickle 0.7 ft to 2 ft, periods are short, and the wind is often onshore or cross-shore. Total doldrums.

Now, Wednesday, July 29th, is the first sign of life. The morning session offers a 4 ft swell from the east, period 7 seconds, and combined energy hitting 104 (moderate). The wind is offshore from the west at 3 mph, keeping it clean. The report says “surfable waves but very ordinary.” It’s not a standout, not by a long shot, but it’s the best we’ve got. The break is Punta Prima, which is exposed and inconsistent, so you’ll be waiting for sets. The optimum swell direction is ESE, and this east swell is close enough. Be aware that crowds are often here, so you might have company.

Thursday, July 30th, the morning brings another 4 ft from the east, period 6 seconds, energy at 85. Glassy conditions with a light SSW wind at 3 mph. Again, “surfable but very ordinary.” The afternoon though, the swell jumps to 5 ft from the east, period 6 seconds, and energy climbs to 181 (still moderate). That’s a touch bigger, but the onshore easterly wind at 12 mph chops it up badly. The setup at Punta Prima is a beach, so with that onshore wind, it’s looking more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Look, I’m not going to lie—this is a lean run. The only real mentionable is the morning of Wednesday, July 29th, with a clean 4 ft, and the morning of Thursday, July 30th, with glassy conditions on a similar swell. Neither is a standout. The forecast is reliable for the near term, and it’s not good. For an area that’s inconsistent like this, a blank run is more normal. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d be finding other things to do.

Rusty.

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