Menakoz Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what we’ve got. The only spot firing in this whole 16-day window is the reef at Menakoz. It’s an expert wave, fairly consistent, and it copes best with swell from the NNW. This is a classic, powerful reef that needs a specific size and direction to line up, and while the early days are a total write-off, the back half of the period shows some serious promise.

We’re starting off with nothing worthwhile. Thursday the 20th is a write-off with tiny, weak 4ft cross-on junk, barely registering 347 energy units. Friday the 21st looks bigger at 6ft, but the wind is howling and it’s churned to slop. Saturday and Sunday are too small and weak to even bother with. The whole first week is a graveyard – a long, frustrating gap with no surf worth paddling for.

Then things start to wake up. The first real glimmer comes on Thursday morning, August 27th. We get 5ft from the NW with a clean cross-off breeze from the SSW. The energy jumps to 274 (moderate), and conditions look good. It’s not huge, but it’s a sign of life.

The standout session is Friday, August 28th. Thursday night’s swell fills in, and Friday morning delivers. We’re looking at a solid 7ft of NW swell, with a 10-second period, and the wind is a light SW cross-off, keeping the surface clean. The combined energy is 761 – that’s strong, serious power. This is Menakoz doing what it does best: holding that NW groundswell and throwing out some heavy, critical sections. This one is for the experienced crew only – at over 7ft, it’s not a beginner wave. The water temperature is sitting at 76°F on Thursday the 20th, which is 5° warmer than the usual for this time of year. That’s very unusual, and it feels like summer has lingered.

After that big Friday morning, it gets messy. Friday afternoon gets blown out by a 19 mph NW wind. Saturday the 29th is frustrating – solid 6-7ft swell, but the wind is on it or crossing it, making it hard to get a clean face.

Then, another real beauty to circle on the calendar is Monday, September 1st – sorry, August 31st. Monday morning, the 31st of August. It’s glassy. Dead calm. Zero wind from the SSE. The swell is a clean 6ft from the NNW with an 11-second period and 674 energy units. That’s a superb combination – long-period groundswell and glassy conditions on a reef. This is a world-class window. The longer period (11 seconds) will mean the waves have more shape and punch, and the gaps between sets will be longer, making paddling out easier. Expect it to be a bit walled up at the beach, but on this reef, it should be fast and hollow.

Tuesday the 1st of September is back to small, weak junk, and Wednesday the 2nd sees size return with 6-6ft, but it’s cross-on or onshore, not ideal.

The last good call is Thursday morning, September 3rd. Another glassy morning with an SSE breeze, 5ft of NW swell at 10 seconds, and 459 energy units. Clean, manageable size, and perfect conditions for a long, rippable session.

So, to wrap it up: Don’t bother paddling out until the 27th. The real jewels are Friday morning the 28th of August for size and power, and Monday morning the 31st of August for pristine, glassy perfection. The second week has a few smaller clean windows, but nothing beats those two days.

Rusty.

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