Ano Nuevo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got a tough one to call for you. Over the next 16 days, we’re looking at a real dry spell for Ano Nuevo (the region). There’s no standout surf window to get excited about, and frankly, most of the period is a write-off. The first decent sniff of anything comes after a long gap, so let’s break it down.

From Wednesday the 26th of August right through to the end of the month, it’s all poor surf conditions. The swell is small, mostly 2ft to 4ft from the SSW, with a very long period (16-19 seconds) – that’s a classic groundswell, but the problem is the wind. It’s a persistent NW breeze, sitting cross or cross-off, and the water’s got a lumpy cross-chop. The combined energy is moderate at best, with values like 358 to 1216, but it’s not translating into any quality. The water temp is a touch warmer than normal at 61°F, but that’s no comfort when the waves are hopeless.

The first week of September doesn’t offer much relief. Monday the 31st of August through to Wednesday the 2nd of September sees the swell drop further, down to 2ft-3ft, with periods shortening to 12-14 seconds, and the wind stays cross or cross-on. The energy values are weak to moderate (258-465), and it’s all poor. Thursday the 3rd of September has a slight uptick – 3ft to 4ft from the S, period 13 seconds, energy jumping to 1158 in the afternoon – but it’s still poor, with a moderate cross-shore chop. There’s a marginal call on the Thursday morning, but it’s not worth paddling out for.

The only true standout in this entire 16-day window is Monday the 7th of September. The morning shows a glimmer of hope: 3ft of SSW swell, 14-second period, and best of all, glassy conditions with a slight air and 3 mph wind from the west. The combined energy is 354, which is weak, but the glassy wind is a major positive – it’ll be clean. This is a sheltered spot, so even a tiny, clean swell can be fun for an advanced surfer. The break is inconsistent, though, and advanced-only, so don’t expect a crowd-pleaser.

After that, Tuesday the 8th of September sees a bigger pulse – 5ft to 6ft from the WNW, period 9 seconds – but it’s short-period windswell, and the cross-shore wind (16 mph) ruins it. That’s too big for beginners and only for experts, but the energy is moderate (769-892) and the conditions are poor. The 9th of September morning is marginal with 5ft, period 10 seconds, but again, it’s cross-shore and messy.

So, if you’re chasing anything, the only true standout is Monday the 7th of September morning – glassy, clean, but tiny. For the rest, it’s a long, bleak run. The break is inconsistent, so a blank run like this isn’t unusual for the area. Keep an eye on the forecasts, though – they can change.

Rusty.

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