Mavericks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, giving you the straight talk on Mavericks.

From now through the end of August and into early September, it’s a real bummer. Sunday the 23rd kicks off with tiny surf and onshore wind. For days we’re looking at 0.4-0.6 ft swell from the southwest, period way up around 16-18 seconds – that’s long-period groundswell, perfect for reefs in theory, but there’s no size. Energy readings are in the 200s, weak. Water temp is 63°F, which is about 5°F warmer than usual.

The first tiny glimmer shows up on Tuesday morning, September 1st. Swell pushes to 4 ft from the west-northwest, period a short 8 seconds, but for the first time the wind goes light and offshore from the west. It’s the cleanest moment in a sea of choppy junk, but still marginal.

The real deal – the only stand out – hits Friday, September 4th, into Saturday the 5th. Swell jumps to 6 ft from the west-northwest, period building from 9 to 11 seconds, and combined energy soars over 1100 (strong). That’s serious power for this reef. Problem is, the wind stays cross-onshore from the north and west-northwest, so no glassy surface. For size and grunt, this is the best window. At 6 ft, this is expert-only at Mavericks. The swell direction lines up with what works best here. Crowds are sometimes an issue, and with size like this, you won’t be alone.

Sunday, September 6th, brings a cleaner window: offshore wind from the west-southwest, 4-5 ft WNW swell, period around 9-10 seconds, but energy drops back to 500-600. It’s marginal but a lot cleaner.

Truth is, for paddle surfing, these 16 days are mostly a loss unless you’re chasing the heavy stuff on September 4th-5th, and even that has side wind. For the big-wave crew, that’s your moment. For everyone else, it’s time to wait.

Rusty.

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