Mavericks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s just call it how I see it. We’re looking at a lean run for Mavericks across this whole 16-day window. Honestly, for a wave of this calibre, it’s a frustrating stretch. There are no proper standouts here – nothing that gets me fired up to load the boards. The first real sniff of anything rideable doesn't even show up until the morning of Sunday, August 9th, and even then, it’s marginal at best. We’re talking about a solid week of poor surf conditions before we even get a glimmer. Then there’s another stretch from around Thursday the 14th through to the end where the waves just fade away.

That first session on Sunday morning the 9th is the pick of a very average bunch. We’ve got a clean 4ft swell rolling in from the WNW with a 10-second period. The combined wave energy is moderate, coming in at (534). Wind is light and smooth – a light breeze out of the west, which is basically offshore for this spot. That’s the key positive: clean, lined-up conditions at the famous big-wave reef. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year.

By Sunday afternoon, that offshore breeze swings westerly and picks up to 12 mph, turning it cross-onshore and choppy. The shine wears off fast.

Monday the 10th is one to sleep in. We’ve got a light cross-onshore wind and the wave quality drops right off.

The rest of that first week is a write-off. Onshore and cross-shore winds are a problem, and while there’s still some swell hanging around, the conditions are just poor. Tuesday through Thursday of that week are particularly nasty with a moderate breeze making a mess of things. The swell is all over the place – some long-period groundswell sneaks in from the SW, but the period isn't helping with the chop.

For the second week, from around the 15th onward, the surf goes sleepy. We’re looking at small, 2ft to 3ft leftovers from the southwest. There’s a bit of long-period energy (16 to 18 seconds), but the wind is consistently cross-onshore or onshore. Energy levels are moderate, but the “poor surf conditions” tag follows almost every session. A few mornings on the 18th, 19th and 24th get a “marginal” tag, but frankly, it’s still small and not worth the paddle out. For a spot this heavy, it’s just not on.

Bottom line: The only window worth a look is the first few hours on Sunday the 9th. After that, it’s a waiting game. This is one of those runs where the ocean just isn’t cooperating for paddle surfing at Mavericks.

Rusty

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