diff --git a/src/cache/precomputed_quantities.jl b/src/cache/precomputed_quantities.jl
index f713f3fa34..798c254cf3 100644
--- a/src/cache/precomputed_quantities.jl
+++ b/src/cache/precomputed_quantities.jl
@@ -256,6 +256,7 @@ end
 
 # Interpolates the third contravariant component of Y.c.uₕ to cell faces.
 function compute_ᶠuₕ³(ᶜuₕ, ᶜρ)
+    assert_eltype(ᶜuₕ, Geometry.Covariant12Vector)
     ᶜJ = Fields.local_geometry_field(ᶜρ).J
     return @. lazy(ᶠwinterp(ᶜρ * ᶜJ, CT3(ᶜuₕ)))
 end
@@ -281,10 +282,15 @@ function set_velocity_at_surface!(Y, ᶠuₕ³, turbconv_model)
 end
 
 function surface_velocity(ᶠu₃, ᶠuₕ³)
+    assert_eltype(ᶠu₃, Geometry.Covariant3Vector)
+    assert_eltype(ᶠuₕ³, Geometry.Contravariant3Vector)
+    ᶠlg = Fields.local_geometry_field(axes(ᶠu₃))
     sfc_u₃ = Fields.level(ᶠu₃.components.data.:1, half)
     sfc_uₕ³ = Fields.level(ᶠuₕ³.components.data.:1, half)
     sfc_g³³ = g³³_field(sfc_u₃)
-    return @. lazy(-sfc_uₕ³ / sfc_g³³) # u³ = uₕ³ + w³ = uₕ³ + w₃ * g³³
+    w₃ = @. lazy(-C3(sfc_uₕ³ / sfc_g³³, ᶠlg)) # u³ = uₕ³ + w³ = uₕ³ + w₃ * g³³
+    assert_eltype(w₃, Geometry.Covariant3Vector)
+    return w₃
 end
 
 """
@@ -313,6 +319,9 @@ end
 # This is used to set the grid-scale velocity quantities ᶜu, ᶠu³, ᶜK based on
 # ᶠu₃, and it is also used to set the SGS quantities based on ᶠu₃⁰ and ᶠu₃ʲ.
 function set_velocity_quantities!(ᶜu, ᶠu³, ᶜK, ᶠu₃, ᶜuₕ, ᶠuₕ³)
+    assert_eltype(ᶠu₃, Geometry.Covariant3Vector)
+    assert_eltype(ᶠuₕ³, Geometry.Contravariant3Vector)
+    assert_eltype(ᶠu³, Geometry.Contravariant3Vector)
     @. ᶜu = C123(ᶜuₕ) + ᶜinterp(C123(ᶠu₃))
     @. ᶠu³ = ᶠuₕ³ + CT3(ᶠu₃)
     ᶜK .= compute_kinetic(ᶜuₕ, ᶠu₃)
diff --git a/src/utils/utilities.jl b/src/utils/utilities.jl
index dba3faf059..bc158afe1f 100644
--- a/src/utils/utilities.jl
+++ b/src/utils/utilities.jl
@@ -493,3 +493,26 @@ function issphere(space)
     return Meshes.domain(Spaces.topology(Spaces.horizontal_space(space))) isa
            Domains.SphereDomain
 end
+
+import ClimaCore.DataLayouts
+
+"""
+    assert_eltype(x, ::Type{T}) where {T}
+
+Assert that the eltype of `x` is of type `T`
+"""
+function assert_eltype end
+
+assert_eltype(bc::Base.AbstractBroadcasted, ::Type{T}) where {T} =
+    assert_eltype(eltype(bc), T)
+assert_eltype(f::Fields.Field, ::Type{T}) where {T} =
+    assert_eltype(Fields.field_values(f), T)
+assert_eltype(data::DataLayouts.AbstractData, ::Type{T}) where {T} =
+    assert_eltype(eltype(data), T)
+
+function assert_eltype(::Type{S}, ::Type{T}) where {S, T}
+    if !(S <: T)
+        error("Type $S should be a subtype of $T")
+    end
+    return nothing
+end