Manglecito Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Manglecito over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – it’s a quiet stretch ahead.

We’re looking at a long, dry spell right from the start. The first real pulse of energy doesn’t show up until much later. For the first week and a half, from Friday, 21 August right through to around Thursday, 3 September, it’s basically flat. There’s a few tiny bumps here and there—0.7 ft to 0.7 ft from the north or northwest—but with periods between 6 and 9 seconds, and barely any energy behind them (combined energy readings of just 1 to 7), it’s not going to give you anything worth paddling for. The wind is mostly a cross-off from the SSE or S, in the 6 to 16 mph range, which keeps the surface clean but there’s simply no swell to work with.

The one little flicker comes on the afternoon of Friday, 28 August. We get a tiny 0.7 ft north swell with a 7-second period, and the wind swings around to a light offshore from the SW at 9 mph. The combined energy is still only 8, so it’s tiny, but it’s the only time in the whole window we see any offshore wind. That little window might be worth a look if you’re desperate for a glide, but don’t expect much.

Then, after a long gap of nearly a week with no recommendations, we finally see something on Saturday, 5 September. A small pulse of 1 ft from the NW with a period of 12 seconds pushes the combined energy up to 21. That’s still weak, but at least it’s a longer period groundswell, which suggests a bit more shape and energy. The wind is a cross-off from the SSE at 9 mph, so it’ll be clean. But let’s be real – 1 ft is barely a ripple. For a spot like Manglecito, a reef and point break that’s fairly exposed to the north, this little NW swell hits the optimum direction. It’s just a shame there’s so little of it. If you’re a beginner, this is totally fine – it’s tiny. For the more experienced crew, it’s a longboard-only kind of day, if anything.

The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no shock there. Crowds are listed as “sometimes” at Manglecito, so you might have a few others on the same idea, but on a 1 ft day, it won’t be busy.

Overall, this is a pretty lean 16 days. The only real standout, if you can call it that, is that little 1 ft NW groundswell on Saturday, 5 September. It’s the best on offer, but don’t expect any fireworks. Keep an eye on the charts – it tends not to stay this flat forever.

Rusty.

Read more