Marengo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. This outlook is for the Marengo region, covering the next couple of weeks. It’s a slow start, but there’s some real juice building for the second week if you’re an experienced surfer.

Right now, Thursday the 6th, we’ve got a tiny 2 ft SSW groundswell at 16 seconds rolling in. Combined energy is weak at 314, and with a cross-off breeze, it’s a pretty marginal call. Water temp is sitting at 57° – about average for this time of year.

Friday the 7th is where things start to turn. The swell bumps up to 5 ft from the SW, period still 16 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 1105 – moderate energy. The real kicker is the wind. Friday morning we get a light 5 mph NW cross-off, but Friday afternoon turns glassy with a NE 5 mph breeze. That’s clean, lined-up surf, and with Marengo being a reef and point break, that long-period groundswell is going to wrap in nicely. This is the standout of the first week – a solid 4 ft to 5 ft SW swell, glassy conditions, and the break is fairly consistent. Could get a few out, but with crowds listed as ‘sometimes’, just be aware it might not be empty.

Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th are a write-off. Strong cross-shore winds and a chop ruin any quality – the swell drops to 3 ft on Sunday with only 399 combined energy. A real shame after Friday’s clean lines.

Monday the 10th sees a big change. Swell jumps to 6 ft from the SW, period 18 seconds, combined energy hits 3487 – strong energy. Morning offshore winds from the WSW at 19 mph make for clean, hollow waves. This is getting big for beginners though – over 5 ft – so it’s more for the intermediate crew. Afternoon kicks up to 6 ft with a cross-off breeze. Still solid, but the wind’s not as clean as the morning.

Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th morning keep the swell around 5 ft to 7 ft. Wednesday morning sees a 7 ft SW groundswell at 19 seconds, combined energy 7364 – that’s strong. Offshore WNW wind at 19 mph keeps it clean. But Wednesday afternoon is the big one – 20 ft WSW swell, 18-second period, and a combined energy of 26378. That’s very strong. The forecast says the wind and tide are good, but the swell is too big for this break. Only for absolute experts, and even then, paddling in might be near impossible. Thursday the 13th stays massive – 25 ft in the morning and 16 ft in the afternoon – same story. Too big for most.

Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th morning are the next real standouts. Friday sees 7 ft to 8 ft SW swell, period 16 seconds, with offshore winds at 12 mph to 16 mph. Clean, powerful waves. Combined energy is 2354 – moderate to strong. This is excellent for experienced surfers. Saturday morning is similar, 8 ft SW at 17 seconds, moderate offshore. Crowds could be around, but the quality makes it worth it.

After that, the swell drops. Sunday the 16th has onshore wind and smaller 6 ft swell – messy. Monday the 17th is back to clean but small, 3 ft to 3 ft, and combined energy is weak. Tuesday the 18th picks up a little with 4 ft WSW and offshore wind, but it’s nothing thrilling.

Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th keep the swell between 5 ft and 8 ft, but cross-shore winds on Wednesday spoil it. Thursday afternoon though – 8 ft SW swell, 20-second period, combined energy 4414, and a light WNW cross-off breeze – that’s going to be long, clean lines. This late in the run (August 20th, over a week away) it’s promising, but less certain. Keep an eye on it.

Friday the 21st fades with 6 ft to 5 ft and fresh side-shore winds – not the best to end on.

Best on offer: Friday August 7th afternoon – glassy 4 ft SW groundswell, clean and fun for everyone. And for the experienced crew, Friday August 14th morning – 7 ft SW, offshore, solid and clean.

Rusty

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