Ano Nuevo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Well, grab a seat and a coffee, because this 16-day window for Ano Nuevo is a real snoozer. I've got to be straight with you – there's hardly a single session worth paddling out for. The whole run is a flat, choppy mess.

The water is sitting at 61°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that's about the only bright spot. The wave energy (combined energy of all swells directed here) is almost always in the moderate range, but it's all cross-shore wind and poor conditions. The swell is mostly from the SSW, with a long period around 14-17 seconds, which is a classic groundswell that breaks too straight for a beach break like Ano Nuevo. And the wind? Almost always cross or cross-onshore, chopping everything up.

We start with Wednesday morning, 19th August, and it's a write-off. Clear sky, but a 15 km/h WNW cross-onshore wind messing up the 3ft SSW swell. That's a no-go, with "poor surf conditions" across the board. The afternoon doesn't get any better – 25 km/h NW cross-shore winds ruining the same small swell. Thursday and Friday are more of the same: some clouds, moderate to fresh cross-shore winds, and tiny waist-high waves. The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd is a total washout – clear skies but cross-shore winds and knee-high soup.

The next week – from the 24th to the 31st – is identical. Light to moderate cross-onshore winds, small swells, and "poor surf conditions" every single day. The wave energy stays in the 300-500 range, showing it's all just messy, wind-affected slop. You'll be tempted by the 3ft swell on the 26th afternoon, but it's a 8-second period and cross-onshore wind – basically a washing machine. Even the 4ft swell on the 27th morning has onshore wind and a 8-second period, making it a total crumble.

The only flicker of anything comes on Saturday, 29th August, in the morning. There's a 3ft SSW swell with a 17-second period, light cross-shore wind, and the combined energy jumps to 1271 – that's a strong pulse of energy. But the forecast score is only a 2 out of 10, calling it "marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions." Plus, this is a long-period groundswell, which is prone to just closing out on a beach break like Ano Nuevo, and the crowds are "sometimes" there. It's a long shot, not a stand-out.

Then we slide into the first week of September, and it's more of the same – small, wind-chopped waves from the WNW, with periods around 7-8 seconds. The 3rd of September is the tiniest of the lot, with a 1ft SSW swell and a combined energy of only 199 (low wave energy). That's barely a ripple.

So, the honest truth? There is no good surf on offer. The entire 16-day window is a flat, windy, and choppy bust. The wind is always wrong, the swell is either too small or too long-period for this beach break, and the consistency is "inconsistent" for a reason. It's the kind of stretch where the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, if you're into that. But for a surfboard? Leave it at home. The forecasts might change, but for now, it's a blank run.

Rusty

Read more