Mavericks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s on offer for Mavericks over the next couple of weeks. Let me be straight with you – this is a tough stretch to call. We’ve got wave energy in the water, but the conditions are making it a real head-scratcher for a clean paddle. The water temperature at Mavericks is sitting at a very unusual 61°, which is a whopping 5° warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s a real anomaly and you’ll definitely feel the difference if you’re used to the usual chilly waters.

The opening of the forecast, from Tuesday, July 7th, shows some long-period groundswell, but it’s small and weak, with combined energy reading just 592 (moderate) to 657. The wind is already a problem, blowing cross-onshore at 9 to 15 mph, messing up any chance of a clean wave. There’s simply no surf worth your time right now.

We see a bit of a bump in size through Wednesday, July 8th, with swell pushing 3 ft from the SW, but the period is still a very long 18 to 19 seconds. That kind of long period at a heavy reef like Mavericks can make for some weird, bowling-out sets, but it’s all academic because the cross-onshore wind is going to turn it into a washing machine. The combined energy hits 1019 (strong) on Wednesday morning, which tells you there’s power, but with no quality, it's just a big mess.

Thursday, July 9th through to the following Tuesday, July 14th, is a real grind. The swell swings around to the WNW, hovering between 4 ft and 7 ft, but the period drops to a short 7 to 9 seconds. That’s junky, weak windswell. And the wind is stuck in a nasty cross-onshore pattern for almost every afternoon session. Even the mornings that have offshore winds are met with that poor, short-period bump. The combined energy fluctuates, hitting a peak of 1216 (strong) on Friday afternoon, July 10th, for the 7 ft swell, but with a 9-second period and strong cross-onshore winds, that’s absolute slop. Honestly, for a spot this exposed and heavy, these conditions look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

There’s a glimmer of a different picture starting Saturday, July 18th. We get some clean offshore wind from the WSW at just 9 mph for a couple of mornings, with a 4 ft swell from the WNW, and the period stretches back to a solid 9 seconds. The combined energy is still in the moderate-to-strong range at 632 to 608. It's marginal, and the scores reflect that, but it’s the cleanest the lineup looks in the entire run. The last real chance to watch is on Sunday, July 19th and Monday, July 20th. Another long-period swell (16 to 17 seconds) rolls in, but it’s tiny, only 2 ft from the SW, with very weak energy (484 and 341). The winds are light and variable, but there's simply not enough size to make the paddle out at Mavericks worthwhile.

So, my honest take? The standout option, if you can call it that, is the early mornings of the weekend of July 18th and 19th, where the wind is clean and there's a bit of shape to the 4 ft WNW swell. It won't be classic Mavericks, but it'll be the least frustrating window. For the rest, it’s a tough one. Pass on the big, messy mid-week stuff.

Rusty.

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