
Surf Forecasts:
Ano Nuevo surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 18s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 14s period, S swell with 736 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 4 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 18s 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 Friday (Sep 04) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 10s. 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 1.4m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Friday (Sep 04) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Ano Nuevo over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s chew the fat on what’s coming down the line for this stretch. I’ll be honest, it’s not a classic run for Ano Nuevo. The long-range looks interesting, but we’ve got a fair bit of quiet, messy water to sit through first.
The overall pattern starts slow. A decent, long-period groundswell from the SSW shows up right away on Friday morning, rolling in at 3ft with a period of 18 seconds. The combined wave energy is sitting at 830 (moderate), which sounds alright, but the real issue is the wind. It’s a light cross-shore, which is okay, but the wave comment tells us it’s marginal tide conditions, so nothing to get overly excited about. This sets the tone for the next several days. We get a string of mornings where the swell hovers between 3ft and 5ft, mostly from the SSW or S, with periods dropping from that long 18-second pulse down to around 13-14 seconds later in the week. The energy stays in that moderate range, but the cross-shore wind and building cross-chop kill the quality every afternoon. There’s a brief window Wednesday afternoon the 9th where the wind goes cross-offshore (clean), but the swell is only 4ft at 12 seconds, and it’s still just a marginal call.
Then we hit a real dry spell. From the 10th of September through to the morning of the 18th, the swell drops away to tiny, weak stuff—1ft to 3ft—with combined energy readings mostly in the 200 to 300 range (weak). The wind is a mess of onshore and cross-onshore directions, and every session is rated as poor conditions. That’s a solid week of hardly anything worth paddling out for. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Now, the standout. The real reason to keep an eye on this forecast is the 18th and 19th of September. We see a new pulse of swell from the WNW, which is a different direction to the optimum SW that this spot favours, but the size gets your attention. On Friday morning the 18th, we’ve got 6ft at a short 9-second period, with light cross-shore wind (moderate energy of 727). That is the biggest swell of the whole outlook. By Friday afternoon it hits 6ft, and on Saturday the 19th it eases slightly to 5ft. This is solid size for Ano Nuevo—definitely too big for beginners (over 5ft), and getting close to that expert-only zone when it peaks. The short period (under 8 seconds) means it’s windswell, not a clean groundswell, and at a beach-and-reef set-up, that short-period WNW swell can be a bit crumbly and harder to line up. The better waves will likely be on the reef sections, if you can handle the power. The wind on Saturday morning is near glassy with a slight air, making for clean conditions, which is a big plus.
So, if you’re patient, the pick of the run is Friday the 18th morning, with the biggest swell and light wind, or Saturday the 19th morning when it drops back a touch but conditions are glassy clean. The 18th afternoon gets messy with a moderate cross-shore and chop, so get it early. It’s not a perfect forecast, but there are a couple of sessions with punch.
Stay patient, and keep an eye on that Friday window.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri morning, min 14°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Wed afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | ||||||||||||||
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 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | SSW 12 | S 12 | SSW 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
497 | 582 | 486 | 590 | 554 | 688 | 422 | 405 | 305 | 314 | 672 | 736 | 694 | 581 | 694 | 643 | 334 | 384 | 390 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | glassy |
High Tide | 5:54AM1.02m | 4:02PM1.65m | 7:17AM1.10m | 5:16PM1.66m | 8:13AM1.19m | 6:30PM1.69m | 8:57AM1.28m | 7:36PM1.72m | 9:35AM1.36m | 8:35PM1.73m | 10:10AM1.44m | 9:30PM1.70m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:32PM0.09m | 9:52AM1.01m | 11:51PM0.02m | 11:26AM1.04m | 1:02AM-0.07m | 12:49PM0.97m | 2:01AM-0.14m | 1:55PM0.84m | 2:51AM-0.18m | 2:51PM0.68m | 3:34AM-0.17m | 3:41PM0.52m | 4:14AM-0.11m | ||||||
— | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | |
— | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:25 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 19 | 22 | 20 |
Feels °C | 18 | 17 | 15 | 12 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | SSW 12 | S 12 | SSW 11 |
179 | 582 | 486 | 590 | 554 | 688 | 422 | 405 | 305 | 314 | 672 | 736 | 694 | 581 | 694 | 643 | 334 | 384 | 390 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | WNW 10 | SSW 13 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | SSE 15 | NW 9 | S 14 | SSE 14 | S 14 | WNW 6 | NW 8 | WNW 12 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | NW 7 | S 11 | SSW 16 | SW 17 |
497 | 163 | 154 | 130 | 120 | 43 | 84 | 195 | 254 | 246 | 47 | 17 | 129 | 25 | 36 | 27 | 185 | 181 | 309 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | S 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSE 12 | S 14 | NW 9 | SW 11 | WNW 6 | SW 10 | SSW 9 | WNW 12 | SW 18 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | SSW 19 | NW 7 | WNW 5 |
150 | 85 | 32 | 56 | 68 | 14 | 107 | 84 | 57 | 43 | 14 | 8 | 29 | 80 | 12 | 11 | 148 | 23 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WNW 10 | — | — | WNW 9 | — | — | WNW 4 | NW 6 | — | WNW 6 | — | — | — | — | WNW 7 | — | — |
— | — | 220 | — | — | 180 | — | — | 28 | 54 | — | 36 | — | — | — | — | 20 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 6 | 29 | 374 | 0 | 79 | 374 | 0 | 31 | 35 | 0 | 30 | 147 | 0 | 122 | 35 | 0 | 7 | 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.










