Montanita Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for this part of the coast.

It’s a slow start on the surf front, and honestly, it’s looking like a bit of a lean run for the first few days. We’re talking Monday the 24th right through to Thursday the 27th – that’s four days of really poor surf conditions. The swell is tiny, mostly coming in around 1 ft to 2 ft, and the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, chopping things up. Not worth paddling out for.

The first real flicker of hope shows up on Friday the 28th. Montanita (a reef and point setup) starts to see a bit of life. Morning on the 28th has a building 3 ft swell from the WSW, and the combined energy is climbing to 592 – that’s moderate energy. The period is a long 18 seconds, so it’s a groundswell, but the wind is a light cross-onshore. It’s still marginal, but it’s a start. The afternoon has a bigger 4 ft swell from the SW, but the wind is onshore. It’s not clean, but it’s the best we’ve seen.

Saturday the 29th is a step up in size but still messy. Morning swell is 5 ft from the WSW, period 15 seconds, with that light cross-onshore wind. The energy is strong at 894. It’s still marginal, though. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual there.

Now, if you’re looking for the real standout, you’ve got to be patient. The best window is shaping up for Friday the 4th of September. That morning, Montanita is getting a solid 5 ft swell from the SW, with a 16-second period, and the combined energy is a punchy 1171 (strong energy). The wind is a light cross-onshore, which is a bit of a bummer, but it’s a light breeze. The afternoon holds steady at 5 ft from the WSW with the same period and energy. That’s the biggest swell of the whole window, and the direction (SW) is right in the optimum zone for this spot. This is the one to circle. The 5 ft height is a bit much for beginners, but intermediate to advanced crew will have a blast.

Saturday the 5th of September is a close second. Morning has 4 ft from the WSW, period 15 seconds, and the energy is 750. The wind is still a light cross-onshore, but the morning is clear and glassy-looking. The afternoon stays similar but the wind goes onshore. The 4th and 5th are the two days to aim for. The rest of the second week is a bit of a mixed bag – some marginal surf, some poor, with the swell dropping off again after the 6th.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off. The second week has a couple of promising days, with Friday the 4th of September being the top pick. It’s a strong, long-period SW groundswell pushing into Montanita. The reef and point setup should handle the period well, giving some good lines. Get out there if you can.

Rusty.

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