Marengo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve been looking at the charts for Marengo. We’ve got a serious run of swell coming in over the next two weeks, but it’s not all smooth sailing. Let’s break it down.

The first real surf on offer kicks off Thursday, July 23rd, and it’s a powerful start. A big SW groundswell is building, with a period of 14 seconds, pushing a hefty 15 ft to 16 ft of swell. The combined energy is massive (10722 to 16534). This is for experts only – way over 8 ft – and the wind is offshore, but it’s a strong moderate to fresh breeze (16 to 22 mph), keeping the surface clean. The wave comment mentions “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions,” so it’s a raw, powerful day. This continues through Friday, July 24th, with the same size and energy, still offshore.

Saturday, July 25th, the swell eases to 12 ft-13 ft from the SW with a 13-second period, still packing strong energy (5996 to 6813). The conditions are “exceptional” and “excellent” for experienced surfers, with clean offshore winds. This is still well over 8 ft, so it’s still an expert-only day, but the quality is there.

Sunday, July 26th, things drop right off. The swell drops to 5 ft-5 ft from the SSW, with a 11-second period, and the energy is weak (449 to 574). The wind is light and cross-off, so it’s clean, but it’s not worth the paddle. The condition is “marginal” at best. Monday, July 27th, is similar with a small, weak swell, though the afternoon shows a bit more promise with a 5 ft SW groundswell at 13 seconds and cleaner conditions.

The real standout window opens up on Tuesday, July 28th, with a solid SW groundswell of 6 ft-8 ft, a long 15-second period, and moderate offshore winds. The energy is moderate (1650 to 2553), and it’s described as “excellent” for experienced surfers. This is a good, solid size for a competent surfer, not too big, with clean offshore winds. This is the best quality on offer so far, with better shape and longer gaps between sets.

Wednesday, July 29th, sees a massive pulse of 16 ft SW swell at 14 seconds, with energy off the charts (14938). The wind is cross-shore, which chops it up, making it messy. Thursday, July 30th, the swell drops to 7 ft but with a cross-onshore wind, so it’s rough. Not a good run.

A long gap then follows from Friday, July 31st, through to Tuesday, August 5th, with mostly small, weak surf (3 ft to 4 ft) and only occasional clean conditions. The energy is very low (308 to 484). There’s a few days in there with some 5 ft-6 ft SW groundswells (on Saturday, August 1st, and Sunday, August 2nd), with a long 15-16 second period and clean conditions, which are “very good” for experienced surfers, but the size is modest.

The next real standout is Thursday, August 6th, and Friday, August 7th. A new SW groundswell at 6 ft-6 ft, with a very long 16-17 second period, rolls in. The energy is moderate (1352 to 2385). Thursday afternoon has a light offshore breeze, but Friday, August 7th, is the one to circle. The wind is glassy, with a slight air, and the swell is 6 ft from the SW at 17 seconds – very long period. The conditions are “excellent” for experienced surfers. This is a promising long-range standout, but it’s a week and a half away, so keep an eye on it.

The water temp is about average for this time of year, which is fine.

Overall, the best windows are the big, expert-level surf from July 23rd to 25th, and the more manageable, quality swell on Tuesday, July 28th, and the glassy Friday, August 7th. The latter is the standout for clean, well-shaped waves.

Rusty.

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