Mavericks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s going on at Mavericks over the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a real mixed bag, so don’t expect a classic run of big-wave days right off the bat.

The window kicks off with a very small, inconsistent south swell, but the wind is the main problem. For the first nine days, we’re looking at a lot of cross-onshore and onshore breezes, with the water just a touch warmer than normal at 61°. The energy is moderate, with combined swell energy around 643 early on, but it’s just not lining up. Most days are a write-off for paddle surfing – the wind is ruining the shape. There’s a significant gap in quality up until the following week.

Monday morning, September 7th, is the first real highlight. The wind goes glassy, calm, and the swell is holding steady at 3 ft from the SSW with a solid 14-second period. The combined energy is moderate (359), and it’s the only morning in the first week with a clean surface. The tide will be the key, but this is the one to look at. The break is a consistent reef, and for a spot this exposed, getting glassy conditions is rare and special.

Thursday afternoon, September 10th, is another standout. The wind drops to glassy again, the swell picks up to 3 ft from the SW with a 17-second period, and the energy jumps to 641. That’s a proper, clean groundswell pulse. The longer period will make the waves more powerful and shapes up well at a reef like Mavericks, but the sets will have longer gaps.

Friday morning, September 11th, is a carbon copy of the day before – glassy, clean, 3 ft SW swell with a 16-second period and energy at 666. This is a solid window of clean surf.

Now, things get interesting for the experts. Moving into the second week, Friday morning, September 18th, we see a pulse of windswell from the WNW. The swell jumps to 8 ft, but it’s short period, only 9 seconds. The combined energy is massive at 1646, but the wind is fresh cross-onshore, making it lumpy and poor quality. This is a big, ugly beast – only for the most experienced. The short period and strong wind mean it’s more of a battle than a pleasure.

Saturday morning, September 19th, offers a slightly better window. The swell drops to 6 ft, still from the WNW with a 9-second period, and the wind eases to a light cross-shore breeze. The energy is still strong (739), but it’s clean enough to be considered. The size is well over 5 ft, so it’s not for beginners, and the short period means it’ll be a bit walled up at the beach but could have some shape at the reef.

The best bet in the whole forecast is the Thursday 10th and Friday 11th window. The glassy offshore wind, combined with a moderate, long-period south swell, will give you the cleanest, most lined-up waves. The later, bigger WNW swell is powerful but messy, so that’s a gamble for the very brave.

Rusty.

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