Ano Nuevo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you—this 16-day window for Ano Nuevo is a tough one. There’s nothing on the cards that’s really worth paddling out for. The whole forecast is a run of poor surf conditions, and the only flicker of something borderline comes right at the end of July, but even that’s a stretch.

Let’s break it down. Starting Saturday, 25 July, we’ve got a long-period SSW groundswell rolling in at 3 ft to 3 ft, with a period of 21 seconds—that’s a proper long-period groundswell, which usually means better-shaped waves at a reef or point, but here it’s just not working. The combined swell energy is moderate (896 early Saturday), but the wind is hammering from the NW at 12 to 19 mph, cross-shore, creating a lumpy cross-chop that ruins any chance of clean surf. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing weird there.

This pattern sticks all through the first week. Swell heights hover around 3 ft to 4 ft, with periods dropping from 21 seconds down to 14 seconds by Friday, 31 July. The wind stays stubbornly NW or WNW, 9 to 19 mph, cross-shore or cross-on, and the wave comments are all “poor surf conditions” or “marginal surf forecast.” The combined energy climbs a bit—moderate to strong (1056 on Monday afternoon, 1164 on Tuesday afternoon)—but the wind just kills it. Ano Nuevo is a sheltered, inconsistent spot, advanced-level, and it rarely breaks cleanly. This stretch is a write-off.

There’s a tiny spark on Friday, 31 July, afternoon and Saturday, 1 August, morning. Swell bumps to 4 ft to 4 ft from the S, period at 14 seconds, with a gentle breeze on Saturday morning (9 mph NW). The wave comment is “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions,” and the score is a 1 out of 10. That’s the best on offer, but it’s still poor. The combined energy is strong (1103 Saturday morning), but the cross-shore wind and cross-chop keep it messy. Crowds are possible here—it’s “sometimes” crowded—but not even worth worrying about.

From Sunday, 2 August, the swell switches to a short-period WNW windswell, 9-second period, height 6 ft to 6 ft. That’s over 5 ft, so it’s getting too big for beginners, but the wind is still cross-shore or cross-on, 6 to 16 mph, and the waves are poor. The combined energy is moderate (791 Sunday afternoon) but dropping. By Wednesday, 5 August, we’re down to 2 ft to 3 ft, and it’s all onshore or cross-on, with light breezes and small wind ripples. The last week is flat or near-flat, tiny swell with poor wind, and all the wave comments are “poor surf conditions.” There’s a gap of several days with no recommendations at all.

Honestly, if you’re looking at this, the setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing—strong cross-shore winds and lumpy chop. But for a surf, it’s a blank run. That’s normal for this area when the wind doesn’t play nice. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d save the energy.

Rusty.

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