Surf Forecasts:
Ano Nuevo surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 23 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 7s period, NW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 13s period, S swell with 511 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 14s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Ano Nuevo this week:
The surf forecast for Ano Nuevo over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Ano Nuevo in the next 16 days are 1.2m 13s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Ano Nuevo over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s break it down.
We’ve got a pretty quiet 16-day window ahead for Ano Nuevo. It’s a sheltered beach and reef setup, mostly for advanced crew, but it’s inconsistent and honestly, there’s barely a day in the whole run that looks worth paddling out for. The first few days from Thursday the 20th of August right through to the 23rd are all zero score, with small dribbles of swell and cross winds messing things up. That trend carries on for quite a while.
There’s a big gap where nothing really stands out. Most of the swell energy stays weak to moderate, with combined energy readings mostly in the 200–400 range (305 to 418), which tells you it’s pretty anemic. Winds are mostly cross or cross-on, and the wave comments keep saying “poor surf conditions” right through.
The only flicker of life comes on the morning of Friday the 28th of August. That morning shows a 6ft NW swell with a period of 9 seconds, moderate wave energy (1219), and gentle cross-shore breeze. That’s the best on offer, but it’s still rated as marginal. For a spot like Ano Nuevo, that’s as good as it gets in this stretch. The swell direction (NW) doesn’t match the optimum SW, but the size is there for advanced surfers. The wind is light, so it could be clean for a short window.
The next morning, Saturday the 29th of August, has a 3ft SSW groundswell with a long 18-second period and high energy (896), but cross winds will chop it up. Sunday the 30th of August morning is marginally better with moderate cross-offshore wind and 3ft SSW swell, but again it’s just marginal.
After that, into early September, the swell pulses up again around the 3rd of September Thursday morning – 5ft WNW, 10 seconds, gentle cross-shore wind, combined energy 948 – but still only a marginal call.
Honestly, this region is locked into a pretty flat, choppy pattern. If you’re an expert and you really need a wave, the morning of Friday the 28th of August is the standout, but don’t expect much. For everyone else, it might be time to check the forecast again in a week.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun morning, min 13°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 17 | NW 7 | WNW 8 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 15 | S 14 | S 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
173 | 236 | 183 | 105 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 111 | 158 | 144 | 86 | 157 | 155 | 150 | 193 | 184 | 130 | 125 | 210 | 334 | 439 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:31PM1.48m | 7:51AM1.05m | 5:31PM1.48m | 8:45AM1.12m | 6:31PM1.50m | 9:23AM1.17m | 7:25PM1.55m | 9:54AM1.21m | 8:13PM1.58m | 10:21AM1.23m | 8:57PM1.61m | 10:45AM1.27m | 9:38PM1.61m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:41AM0.99m | 00:26AM0.23m | 12:02PM1.05m | 1:26AM0.16m | 1:10PM1.04m | 2:17AM0.09m | 2:04PM0.98m | 2:59AM0.02m | 2:48PM0.91m | 3:35AM-0.03m | 3:26PM0.83m | 4:07AM-0.06m | 4:02PM0.74m | 4:37AM-0.06m | |||||||
6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | |
— | 7:54 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:45 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 14 | 18 | 19 | 14 | 19 | 20 | 15 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 18 | 17 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 18 | 12 | 18 | 17 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | SSW 12 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | S 14 | WNW 8 | SSW 17 | S 13 | S 13 | S 15 | S 14 | WNW 8 |
173 | 236 | 183 | 91 | 65 | 99 | 99 | 65 | 105 | 110 | 51 | 108 | 105 | 150 | 55 | 184 | 87 | 125 | 210 | 334 | 202 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | S 14 | S 14 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | S 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | S 14 |
40 | 109 | 93 | 105 | 99 | 60 | 39 | 111 | 98 | 144 | 83 | 106 | 153 | 147 | 193 | 126 | 130 | 124 | 169 | 124 | 439 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 12 | SW 19 | SW 20 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 18 | S 10 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | SW 18 | WNW 11 | S 13 | WNW 7 | WSW 16 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | W 13 | W 12 |
107 | 15 | 15 | 81 | 79 | 30 | 61 | 2 | 50 | 94 | 84 | 157 | 155 | 11 | 90 | 31 | 50 | 26 | 23 | 55 | 46 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 7 | WNW 4 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | NW 4 | NW 4 | NW 5 | WNW 5 | NW 7 | — | WNW 7 | — | — | WNW 8 | — | — | WNW 7 | — | — | WNW 8 | — |
77 | 24 | 20 | 21 | 26 | 9 | 19 | 59 | 158 | — | 86 | — | — | 75 | — | — | 28 | — | — | 103 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 31 | 31 | 1 | 31 | 35 | 0 | 31 | 34 | 0 | 31 | 31 | 17 | 79 | 31 | 0 | 79 | 31 | 0 | 79 | 31 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in San Mateo | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Ano Nuevo Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Ano Nuevo provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Ano Nuevo can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Ano Nuevo surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Ano Nuevo) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Ano Nuevo may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Ano Nuevo is 29 km (18 miles) from Santa Cruz. If you plan a vacation in San Mateo, look for hotels and other accommodation in Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











