Guarita Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for the Guarita region over the next couple of weeks.

Alright, the first thing that jumps out is we've got a solid run of surf starting this weekend, but it's not all smooth sailing. The water temp is sitting right around 63°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The window opens on Saturday morning, 22 August, with a 7ft swell from the south. The period is a short 9 seconds, so it's a bit of a wind swell, but the energy is solid (1386). It's a bit of a mixed bag though, with a moderate cross-offshore breeze. The Saturday morning session is clean, but the afternoon is still marginal. The real standout for the early part of the forecast is Sunday morning, 23 August. We've got a 6ft south swell, but the period jumps to 12 seconds, which is a proper groundswell. The energy is 995 – moderate – and with a light breeze, it's going to be clean. The commentary says "expect very good surf conditions," and that's what we're seeing. The swell direction is from the south, and the optimum for Guarita is east, so it's not a perfect match, but the quality is there.

Monday morning, 24 August, is another strong contender. The swell is 8ft from the SSE, with a very long period of 14 seconds. The energy is solid (2144), and with a slight air and cross-offshore wind, it's going to be absolutely clean. This is expert territory at 8ft, so leave the foamies at home. The long period groundswell will be pushing hard, but at a reef break like Guarita, that long period energy is a real treat. The wind is near glassy, and that's a major positive.

Tuesday morning, 25 August, we see a drop in size to 5ft, but the period stays at 12 seconds from the SSE. The energy is lower (692), but it's clean and consistent. Come Tuesday afternoon, the wind swings onshore and it gets choppy, so the mornings are the key.

Wednesday 26 August has a 7ft, 15-second swell from the SSE, which is huge period. The energy is 1663, but the wind is a cross-shore, not ideal. It's still a solid, powerful swell, but the wind is a bit of a hassle.

After that, we see a real drop-off. From Thursday 27 August into the end of the month, the swell collapses to 3ft to 4ft. The period drops, the wind gets messy, and the scores reflect that. There's a few days there, from Thursday afternoon through to the end of the month, where it's just not worth paddling out. The wind is onshore or cross-shore with chop, and the energy is pathetic.

There's a flicker of hope on Tuesday, 1 September, with a 5ft swell from the ENE. The period is short (7 seconds), but it's clean in the morning. It's a bit of a wind swell, but a clean 5ft is better than a day at work.

Wednesday, 2 September brings a bigger 7ft swell from the south, but the period is a short 8 seconds. The energy is 970, and it's cross-offshore, so it's clean, but it's a lumpy, short-period swell. Not the best shape.

The rest of the first week of September is small stuff. 3ft to 4ft, mostly clean in the mornings but with short periods. It's surfable but very ordinary. The energy is weak, rarely breaking 300.

So, to wrap it up: the best bet is the Sunday 23 August morning session – that 6ft, 12-second south swell with light winds is a gem. The Monday 24 August morning session is the big, clean, expert swell of the week. After that, it's a few days of clean but small surf, then a gap of poor conditions, and then some small, clean fun in the first week of September. It's a bit of a stop-start period, but the first three days are worth clearing your diary for.

Stay stoked.
Rusty.

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