Montanita Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve got to be straight with you – this next 16-day window around Montanita is a tough one to sell. We’re not looking at any real standout swells or magic days. The overall pattern is a whole lot of onshore and cross-onshore breezes messing up what could be decent waves. There’s a lot of marginal surf with questionable conditions, and you’ll have to sift through a lot of average to poor days to find a few clean windows.

Starting off now, Sunday the 30th of August, the morning has a small 4ft swell from the WSW with a 13-second period. The wind is a light cross-onshore from the SSW at 6 mph, which is creating some small wind ripples and making it pretty average. The combined energy is moderate at best. Afternoon turns even worse with onshores. Monday and Tuesday are much the same – small 3ft swell, cross/onshore winds, and low energy. Not worth paddling out.

The middle of the week shows a slight bump. Thursday the 3rd of September has a 3ft swell from the WSW, and the period stretches out to 18 seconds – that’s a long-period groundswell. The combined energy climbs but stays moderate. The wind is still a light cross-onshore though, so that clean face you’d hope for with a long period isn’t quite there. This long-period stuff can work well at Montanita’s reef and point setup, but with the cross-onshore, it’s still only a marginal call.

Friday the 4th of September sees the swell height jump to 5ft in the morning and 5ft in the afternoon from the SW. The period holds at 16 seconds, and the combined energy gets strong, hitting in the afternoon. That’s the most energy we’ll see. But here’s the catch – the wind is onshore from the SW at 9 mph. For an advanced break like Montanita, that 5ft is pushy but manageable, but the onshore wind is a killer for quality. It’s not the standout you’d hope for.

After that, we drop back into smaller, choppier conditions through the second week. Most days have 3ft to 4ft swell with light cross-onshore winds and low to moderate energy. The pattern is pretty flat and uninspiring.

Now, the one true standout in this entire outlook comes on Sunday the 13th of September. It’s a full two weeks away, so take it with a grain of salt, but the morning is calling for glassy conditions. The swell is tiny – only 2ft from the SW – but the period is a very long 19 seconds. The combined energy is weak, so it’s not a powerful session, but that glassy surface with a clean, long-period groundswell on the reef and point at Montanita could be a special, if small, window. For a patient surfer on a log or a longboard, that morning might be the cleanest wave you’ll get. Afternoon onshores blow it out again.

Crowds at Montanita are often an issue. Even on a marginal day, expect company.

So, the bottom line: no outstanding days for proper shortboarding in this period. The 13th of September morning is your only shot at something truly clean, but it’s small. The rest is a grind of onshore winds and middling waves. Better luck next time.

Rusty.

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