Ano Nuevo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, looking at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks at Ano Nuevo. I’ll be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch, no two ways about it. We’ve got a 16-day window but don’t go hanging your wettie up just yet, because it’s mostly a case of watching and waiting.

We start off Friday, July 3rd, with tiny swell, just 2 ft from the SSW with a seriously long 15-second period – that’s proper groundswell, the kind that wraps around, but only if conditions line up. The combined swell energy is weak at 307, and the problem is the cross-onshore wind, even though it’s light. The water is sitting at 59°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. It’s a stubbornly poor start, and that theme carries right through the first week. Every day shows poor surf conditions, with cross or cross-onshore breezes that just won’t let up. Even as the swell bumps up to around 3 ft towards Monday the 6th, the wind stays messy, and the wave energy (744) isn’t enough to overcome the chop.

There is a small glimmer around Wednesday, July 8th, where the swell pushes to 4 ft and the energy climbs into four digits at 1019, but it’s marked as only marginal, and the fresh cross-shore wind at 19 mph will have that surface looking lumpy. That pattern repeats through Thursday the 9th – swell increases to 3-6 ft, but the short period (8 seconds) is a big letdown. That short-period windswell won’t hold its shape on the shelf, and with that persistent wind, it’s more of a choppy mess than a wave you’d want to paddle out into. For the advanced crew, the 6 ft on Thursday afternoon might have some grunt, but it’s not going to be clean.

There’s a slight break in the wind on Saturday, July 11th, where we see a light onshore breeze (SSW, 3-6 mph) and the swell hangs around 3 ft, 15-second period, energy at 414. But again, it’s rated as only marginal. That’s the pattern – we never really shake the poor rating until deeper into the second week.

The best chance in this entire outlook lands on Thursday, July 16th. Morning brings a 7 ft swell from the WNW with a 9-second period – not long-period, but still enough to push some solid sets. The combined energy is a strong 1328, which is the highest we see. And the wind? Light breeze from the south at 6 mph, cross-onshore but light enough that it’s not going to ruin it. That’s the only time I’d say go have a look, but I’d be honest – for beginners that 7 ft is probably too much, and with the short period, it’s going to be a bit dumpy. Still, for the experts, there could be some fun left-handers if the tide plays ball. It’s still only a 2 out of 10 rating on the marginal side, but it’s the standout window.

After that, the swell backs off into the 4-5 ft range with that same short period and moderate cross-shore winds, so the quality fades again. We’ve got a big gap of 3 days between the 18th and the end of the forecast where there’s no recommendation at all.

Bottom line: This is a spot that needs a clean window, and we just aren’t getting it. The best I can say is keep an eye on the morning of July 16th. Otherwise, it’s a long wait.

- Rusty

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