Montanita Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the 16-day picture for our stretch of coast.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the surf kick-off is a bit of a slow burner. The first solid recommendation comes in on the morning of Wednesday the 12th, but it’s pretty weak. We’re looking at Montanita, a reef and point set-up that handles a SW groundswell real well. The first few days are underwhelming, with waves around 2ft and a long 14-second period creating a modest combined swell energy of 216. The wind is light and onshore, so it’ll be bumpy. The water temp is about what you’d expect for this time of year.

Things start to get a little more interesting from Thursday the 13th afternoon through to Saturday the 15th. The swell picks up to the 4ft range from the WSW, with periods dropping to a more manageable 15 to 17 seconds. Energy climbs into the moderate range, hitting a peak of 897 on Friday afternoon. Still, the wind is mostly cross-on or onshore, giving us a light chop. It’s marginal at best. The period is long enough to suggest good shape at a point break like this, but the onshore flow is a bummer.

The standout window? Honestly, it’s hard to point to one that truly fires. The best bet for something half-decent looks like Friday the 14th afternoon into the morning of Saturday the 15th. The swell is the biggest of the run, around 4ft, with moderate energy. It’s not perfect, but if you’re desperate, the south-west swell direction is what this spot likes. It’s advanced-level territory, so the 4ft here on a long period will have some punch. Crowds are often here, so expect company. Don’t expect perfection, but it’s the most on offer.

From Sunday the 16th onwards, it’s a long, slow fade. Swell drops consistently under 3ft and the energy drops to under 500. There are long gaps with nothing really worth paddling out for. The wind stays onshore or cross-onshore through most of the second week. There’s a tiny blip on Wednesday the 26th morning with a 2ft, 18-second groundswell, but it’s not enough to get excited about. The 18-second period is very long, making it better suited for this point and reef set-up than a beach, but it’s just too small.

Overall, if you’ve got a kite, the consistent onshore winds might be more your game this fortnight. For a paddle surfer, Friday is the only day that’s worth a look, and even then, keep the expectations low.

- Rusty

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