Montanita Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’re looking at a stretch that starts off slow and stays pretty average all through the 16-day run. Montanita’s sponging up a mix of swells, but conditions are mostly cross-onshore or onshore, keeping things messy. There are no true standouts here, but a couple of mornings offer a chance if you’re desperate for a paddle.

The first surf worth a look comes in on Saturday 4th July morning. Montanita is a reef and point setup, exposed to the SW, handling a 2ft SW swell with a solid 14-second period. That’s a long-period groundswell, so you’ll get proper lines wrapping around the point. Wave energy is moderate at 321. Wind is cross-on from the SW at 3 mph, which is light, but makes for a bit of bump. The water is sitting at 79° with a massive anomaly of 4° — that’s way warmer than usual, so you won’t need a spring suit. It’s inconsistent, often crowded, and only for advanced crew. Not great, but it’s the most we’ve got.

Sunday 5th July morning bumps up to 3ft SW at 16 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 801. Moderate-to-strong energy, and again that long period means shape. But the wind is onshore from the WSW at 6 mph, so it’s a bit bumpy. Still marginal. The break handles the longer period better than a beach, but you’re still fighting the onshore.

Monday 6th July morning sees 3ft SW at a very long 19 seconds, with combined energy at 756. That’s a serious groundswell, and at a reef/point it’ll hold nice shape. Wind is cross-on from the SW at 3 mph — light but not glassy. This might be the pick of the whole run, but it’s still only rated marginal. The afternoon has 4ft SW at 18 seconds and combined energy over 1000 (1006). That’s strong energy, but the afternoon wind is onshore from the W at 6 mph, so messy. For experts only at that size on a point.

Beyond that, from Tuesday 8th July onward, it fades. Swell drops under 3ft, periods shorten, and the wind is mostly cross-onshore at 6-9 mph. The energy dips into the 200-400 range. There’s a small bump on Friday 10th July morning (3ft SW, 16 sec, 500 energy), but wind is cross-on from the SSW at 6 mph. By the second week, it’s all 2ft to 3ft, short period, with poor surf conditions or marginal scores. Nothing worth planning around.

Best bet: Monday 6th July morning, if you can catch it. That long 19-second SW groundswell, light cross-on wind, and moderate-strong energy is the closest we get to clean. But don’t expect perfection — you’ll still have bump, and the crowds will be there.

Rusty.

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