Mavericks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this is a tough stretch for surf. The whole 16-day window from August 14th through the 29th is a real struggle, with no scores above a 2 out of 10. We’ve got a solid 16 days of very poor to marginal conditions, and honestly, there’s nothing here that I’d call a proper surf session. The best we can say is that the water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 62°F.

We start off on Friday, August 14th afternoon with a tiny 2ft swell from the SW at a very long 18 seconds, but the wind is on it from the W at 9 mph, and the whole thing is rated as poor surf. That long period means it’s a groundswell, but the size is just too small for Mavericks to do anything meaningful. The combined energy is 322 (weak to moderate). It stays like this through Saturday and Sunday, with swells hovering around 2ft to 3ft, and the wind is cross-on or onshore, keeping things messy. Monday the 17th is more of the same – poor conditions and a gentle breeze.

The middle of the week, from August 19th onward, the swell bumps up a bit. On Wednesday the 19th afternoon, we see a 4ft swell from the WNW, but the period is short at 8 seconds, and it’s cross-on wind at 12 mph. The combined energy climbs to 477 (moderate), but the quality is still poor. Thursday the 20th morning has 5ft from the WNW, period 8 seconds, and the wind is cross-on, so it’s choppy and ugly. The energy is 535 (moderate to strong), but it’s not doing anyone any favors. Friday the 21st afternoon sees the biggest swell of the whole period at 6ft, WNW, 8-second period, but again, cross-on wind at 12 mph and a combined energy of 748 (strong). It’s still rated poor, and with that size and period, it’s not beginner-friendly, but the wind kills it.

The last week, from August 22nd to the 29th, is a rinse and repeat. Swells bounce between 1ft and 5ft, mostly from the WNW, with periods all over the place from 7 to 19 seconds. The wind is almost always cross-on or onshore, with a few moments of light onshore wind. The highest energy we see is 820 on Saturday the 29th morning with a 5ft NW swell, 8-second period, and light onshore wind, but it’s still only a 1/10. Even the clear skies on Thursday the 27th morning with a 5ft NW swell and light wind only manage a 2/10 – the best of a bad bunch but still marginal.

There’s simply no standout window here. The swell direction is mostly from the WNW, which is okay for Mavericks as it’s exposed to that direction, but the wind is always working against it. No glassy, offshore conditions to speak of. If you’re a paddler, you’re better off staying home. The only thing that might be worth a look is for the kite surfers – with these consistent cross-on winds and moderate to strong swell energy, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. But for a proper wave, we’ve got nothing. The spot is consistent, sure, but it rarely breaks clean. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a blank run.

Stay patient, Rusty.

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