Manglecito Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it's Rusty here. Let's be straight with you about the next couple of weeks at Manglecito. It's a pretty bleak run for paddle surfing, so I'll break down what's actually happening, because frankly, there's not much to get excited about.

The forecast starts now, and the first thing you need to know is that there is a gap of no surf worth mentioning from Wednesday, August 5th all the way through until August 9th. The data shows no swell energy until that Sunday.

On Sunday, August 9th, we finally see a tiny pulse of 0.3 ft from the NW with a period of 11 seconds. The combined swell energy is weak, just 5 (5), and while the wind is a light cross-off, the wave height is barely a ripple. It's still in the "poor surf conditions" category. The water temperature at Manglecito is a very unusual 78°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year.

Monday, August 10th is similar with 0.7 ft from the N, period 8 seconds, and combined energy of 6 (6) in the morning. The cross-off breeze is light, but it’s tiny.

The rest of the first week and into the second is pretty much the same story. From the 11th up to the 20th of August, we see occasional tiny pulses of 0.7 ft to 1 ft from the N or NW, with short periods of 8 to 9 seconds. The combined energy rarely breaks into double digits, reaching only 17 (17) at its strongest on the 17th. The wind is mostly a light to moderate cross-off or cross breeze, which keeps the surface clean, but there's simply no power in the water to push a surfboard. It’s clean but flat. There is one standout moment in terms of wind quality; Friday, August 7th afternoon is forecast to be glassy, but there is zero swell, so there is literally nothing to ride.

Looking at the setup, Manglecito is a reef and point break, and the optimum swell direction is from the N. When pulses do arrive, they come from that direction, but the size is so small that only a long-period groundswell could make it work here, and we aren't seeing that. Since the wave energy is virtually non-existent, and the conditions are clean but for nothing, the whole outlook for the next 16 days is a washout for surfers.

Rusty.

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