Las Monjas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mates, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle. There’s surf on the cards, but it’s going to be messy, and the wind gods are not on our side for the most part.

We’re looking at a long stretch of north and northeast winds, which is cross-on or cross-shore for Las Monjas. That’s going to chop things up and make it hard to find a clean face. The water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, which is nice, but it doesn’t help the waves.

For the first week, through the end of August and into the start of September, it’s mostly poor. You’ve got small, short-period swell – think 6 to 9 seconds – which isn’t doing much. The energy’s weak to moderate early on, with values like (164) and (130) on Wednesday, but it gets more jumbled as we go. Thursday the 27th has some small waves but the period drops to 6 seconds, which is terrible. Friday the 28th sees a bump in size to 5ft and 6ft, but it’s all cross-shore and choppy, with energy picking up to (321) in the afternoon. Still not worth getting wet for.

Saturday the 29th is the first time we see some proper energy – (661) in the morning with a 10-second period. The size is around 5ft, but the wind is still cross-shore from the NNE at 25 km/h, so it’s going to be a messy, lumpy ocean. It’s going to be a lot of work for not much reward. That’s a marginal call at best. The rest of that weekend and into next week just keeps the same story: north/northeast winds, cross-on, and 3ft to 5ft of short-period slop. There’s a persistent moderate breeze, so don't expect it to clean up.

We do see a change in the second week. The swell period starts to lengthen significantly, which is a good sign. Around Monday the 8th of September, we get a 14-second period with energy jumping up to (760) in the morning. Size is still only 4ft, but that long period means some push and better-shaped waves. The wind, however, is still cross-on from the north, so it won’t be glassy. Tuesday the 9th has a 13-second period with (662), but again, the wind ruins the party. The same pattern holds through Thursday, with the period staying long, around 11-13 seconds, and the energy remaining strong – (753) on the 10th – but that persistent north wind is just going to keep it bumpy.

So, here’s the thing. There’s no standout day here. No day where the wind drops off and the swell lines up perfectly. The most promising window is around the 8th through the 10th of September. The long-period groundswell will have some push, and the combined energy is solid, but it’s still going to be a battle with that onshore/cross-onshore chop. For a spot like Las Monjas, which is a reef break that loves a clean, long-period swell from the NW, this NE/N wind is just wrong. It’s going to be frustrating.

Given the persistent onshore wind and the chop, if you’re not keen on a frustrating paddle, this setup honestly looks more interesting for the kite surfers than for us. For the first week, don't bother. For the second week, keep an eye on it, but manage your expectations. There’s no real stand-out, just a slightly less messy version of the same old story.

Signing off,
Rusty

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