Las Monjas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's talk about what's on offer.

Looking down the 16-day run, I gotta be straight with you: it’s a tough stretch for surfers here at Las Monjas. The pattern is locked into a persistent cross-onshore wind for the whole period, and while there are pulses of swell, the quality is just never there. This is one of those times where the ocean looks messy, and you’re better off leaving the board on the car.

We start off on Sunday, August 23rd. There’s some waist-high swell around 3 ft from the north, with a period of 10 seconds. But the cross-on breeze from the NNE at 6 mph is putting light chop on the face. The combined wave energy is moderate (267), and the water is 76°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – a nice detail, but it doesn't save the surf. It’s poor conditions, so nothing to get excited about.

The waves build through Monday, hitting 6 ft from the NNW with a longer 12-second period and moderate energy (887). That might sound promising, but the wind picks up to 12 mph, again cross-onshore, turning it into a choppy, blown-out mess. The size pushes past 5 ft here, so it’s starting to get a bit much for beginners, but the wind ruins it for everyone. This trend continues right through the end of August and into early September.

The swell stays in the 3 ft to 4 ft range most of the time, but the wind just won't let up. It's a frustrating grind of moderate to fresh breezes, all cross-onshore, keeping the surface lumpy and the waves unsurfable. The period drops right down too – by Thursday the 27th, it’s a weak, short-period 5-second windswell with energy collapsing below 100 (66). That's barely a ripple.

There’s a bump in size late on Friday, August 28th, and through Saturday, August 29th, with swell around 7 ft to 7 ft from the NNE. The energy climbs back up into the strong range (508 to 864), but the fresh cross-onshore winds at 16 mph to 19 mph make it a washing machine. At over 7 ft with that wind and an exposed reef setup, this is strictly for experts who don't mind a beating, but honestly, it just looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The quality is still rated poor.

Heading into the first week of September, from the 1st to the 7th, the story doesn't change. Swell sticks around 4 ft to 6 ft from the north or NNE, but the wind remains a constant cross-onshore curse. The period stays short, between 6 and 8 seconds, so the waves lack any real punch or shape. There's one session on the afternoon of September 7th where the wind finally goes offshore (on), but it’s from NNW at 12 mph – way too strong to be clean offshore glass, and the swell is a weak 4 ft with only moderate energy (272). It's still classed as poor conditions.

Honestly, there isn’t a single standout session in this entire 16-day window. The best I can say is that this is a very consistent wave when conditions line up, so this kind of blank run is more normal for the area. Forecasts can change, but as it stands, it’s a solid two-plus weeks of waiting it out.

Rusty.

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