Las Monjas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – this is a tough one for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got one spot, Las Monjas, a reef break that’s usually very consistent, but the wind and swell quality are just not playing ball for a long stretch. The water’s sitting at 73°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a bit of a silver lining, but the surf itself is a struggle.

Starting from Wednesday, July 15th, we’ve got tiny, weak, 2ft to 1ft swell from the north with a short period of 8 seconds and a cross-shore breeze. The combined energy is a measly 45 to 52 (weak), and it’s just poor. It stays like this into Thursday, July 16th, with a bit more size (4ft) but the period drops to a shocking 5 seconds and the wind swings cross-onshore, making it choppy and ugly. The energy picks up a little (95-112, still weak), but the quality is still poor.

Through the rest of the week and into the next, we see the swell building. Friday the 17th has 5ft from the NE (6-7 sec, 168-173 energy, moderate), Saturday the 18th hits 6ft (7 sec, 262 energy, moderate), and Sunday the 19th is similar at 6ft (7 sec, 282 energy). But the wind stays cross-onshore, 20-25 km/h (12-15 mph), and it’s all labelled poor surf conditions. This pattern holds through the following week: Monday the 20th (6ft, cross-on), Tuesday the 21st, Wednesday the 22nd, and Thursday the 23rd. By Wednesday the 22nd, the swell gets up to 6-7ft from the NNE (8 sec, 412-473 energy, moderate), and by Thursday the 23rd, it’s 7-8ft (8 sec, 642-696 energy, moderate). Still, the wind is a problem – it’s cross-onshore and choppy, so the surf is messy.

Friday the 24th sees a brief moment of offshore wind (NNW 20 km/h, 12 mph) in the morning, with 5ft swell from the N (8 sec, 538 energy, moderate), but it’s still rated poor. Saturday the 25th has a bit more size (7-8ft, 9 sec, 753-885 energy, moderate), and again some offshore wind in the morning, but it’s not enough to clean it up. The standouts, if you can call them that, are the mornings of July 24th and 25th, where the wind is more offshore, but the swell is still cross-on and the quality is poor. For a beginner-friendly reef like Las Monjas, 7ft is getting big, and with the chop, it’s not inviting.

The real size comes in on Sunday, July 26th, with 8ft from the NNE (9 sec, 1040 energy, strong), but it’s cross-onshore again. That’s expert territory, and with the wind, it’s a mess. It stays that way into Monday the 27th (7-8ft, 8 sec, 644-719 energy, moderate) and Tuesday the 28th (6-7ft, 8-9 sec, 548-582 energy, moderate). The only sliver of hope is Wednesday, July 29th, when the wind eases to a cross-shore (NE 15 km/h, 9 mph) and the swell drops to 5-5ft (8 sec, 284-331 energy, moderate). It’s only rated as marginal, not poor, but it’s the best we’ll see. Thursday the 30th is back to poor.

The whole 16-day window is a write-off for quality. There’s a solid 10-11 day stretch from July 15th to July 25th with no real recommendations, and another run from July 26th to the 30th that’s just as bleak. The only day that’s even close to surfable is July 29th, and that’s marginal. If you’re a beginner, stay away – the swell is too big and the wind is terrible. Honestly, with the size and the cross-onshore wind, this setup might be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Keep an eye on the forecasts, but for now, I’d say save your energy.

Rusty.

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