Marengo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board, it’s Rusty. We’ve got a solid 16-day window here at Marengo, and it’s starting with a bang. The water temp is sitting at 58°F, which is pretty much normal for the time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real action kicks off on Friday afternoon, the 24th of July. There’s a serious 16ft SW groundswell hitting the reef and point. The swell energy is massive, and we’ve got a fresh 19 mph offshore wind from the W keeping it clean. This is a big, powerful swell – it’s not for the faint-hearted, and definitely for experts only. The period is 14 seconds, a proper groundswell that will wrap nicely into the point, but it’ll be a handful at the reef.

The swell eases a bit through Saturday the 25th, but we’re still looking at 13ft SW swell on the morning with an 19 mph WSW offshore. The energy is still strong. The wind stays offshore all day, keeping it clean, but the size is still well over 8ft, so it’s expert territory.

The standout window, and the best on offer, actually looks like Sunday the 2nd of August. The morning shows a solid 7ft SW groundswell with a very long 17-second period. The wave energy is moderate. But the afternoon is where it gets special – the wind goes glassy (3 mph from the WNW), with the same 7ft SW swell. The energy is moderate, and the conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. That glassy afternoon session is the one to circle. The long period will make the waves at this reef and point break beautifully, with long, clean lines.

There’s a bit of a lull in the middle of the week. After the initial big swell, Sunday the 26th drops to 5ft, but it’s clean and gentle. The energy fades significantly. From Monday the 27th through to Thursday the 30th, the swell dips under 5ft, but the wind stays mostly offshore or cross-offshore, so it stays clean. The energy is weak to moderate. It’s small, but if you’re on a longboard, it’s workable.

The swell picks up again late in the first week. Tuesday the 28th sees an 12ft WSW swell with a moderate 12-second period, but the wind is strong and offshore. The energy is strong. The problem is consistent rain showers that day, keeping it marginal. Thursday the 30th then drops to a clean 5ft SW swell with a 13-second period and light offshore winds. The energy is weak, but it’s clean and small.

The second week (starting August 1st) is a bit more mixed. The first week of August has a couple of promising days. Sunday the 2nd is the standout, as mentioned. Monday the 3rd is smaller and cross-shore, so it’s less ideal. The 6th and 7th of August see a return of bigger, long-period swell from the SW, but the wind turns cross-shore, creating a chop. The energy is strong again, but the quality drops. The 8th of August shows a fresh 8ft SW swell with an 19 mph offshore wind, which will be clean and powerful, but again, experts only.

The biggest issue is the long period swells. They’re prone to breaking straight at beach breaks, but here at Marengo, it’s a reef and point setup, so it should handle the 15-17 second period swells well. The main drawback is the crowds – this spot is listed as “sometimes” crowded, so you can expect company during the good windows.

So, to sum it up: the best call is on the afternoon of Sunday the 2nd of August. That glassy, 7ft SW groundswell is a proper session. The early part of the forecast is for the big-wave chargers only. The rest of the window is smaller and cleaner, but nothing else comes close to that Sunday.

Rusty.

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