Pacasmayo.
Now
· updated 12 hours agoThe week opens with a 1.8-2m southwest swell at 14-15 seconds under strong southeast wind, holding steady through Monday before building to a week peak of 2m south-southwest swell at 11-12 seconds on Wednesday dawn under strong southeast wind. Conditions gradually ease through the week, dropping to 1-1.5m south-southwest swell by Thursday with wind easing to moderate, then further to 1m south swell by Friday under light to moderate southeast wind. The weekend sees a slight rebuild to 1-1.2m southwest swell with moderate wind, though wind-sea remains heavy early in the period, indicating persistent chop on top of the swell. Looks like Wednesday dawn under strong southeast wind may offer the best energy despite the wind, as glassier conditions never fully return.
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About Pacasmayo
Pacasmayo sits on Peru’s north coast in La Libertad, ~108 km north of Trujillo and ~580 km north of Lima. The headline is El Faro, “The Lighthouse”, a left-hand point break that peels for ~2.5 km from the rocks at the top of the bay back to the old pier in town. On a solid south-west swell, single rides have been timed at four minutes. The takeoff is hollow over a sunken wreck and mellows into walls, crumbling lips, and pockets the further you ride. It’s one of the longest left-hand point breaks on earth.
April through October is when it fires. Southern Ocean lows track east under New Zealand and send south through south-west swell that wraps the point. Reference firing size sits around 3.5 m with mid- to long-period energy; the wave catches everything and holds bigger than neighbouring Chicama. The prevailing south wind blows side-offshore down the point, so the wave grooms itself most days.
Water sits at 18 to 21 °C year-round, cold for a tropical latitude because the Humboldt Current runs north along the coast. A 2 mm springsuit covers most of the year, a 3/2 on the coldest mornings. The biggest hazard is the paddle. From the pier back to the takeoff is the better part of a kilometre, so most surfers hop a moto-taxi up the road and walk down the rocks instead. Crowds are usually manageable because the wave has so many sections to spread the lineup. The pier-side beach is where the rental crew puts beginners. If you can’t paddle the full point, take a half-ride and roll the next one.