Montoya Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s on offer at Montoya, because to be honest, it’s a bit of a lean stretch. This is a beach-and-point setup that’s exposed to the swell, and it’s best with wind from the NW. The forecast is pretty grim for the first week, so we’ll be waiting a while for anything worth waxing up for.

For the first several days, from Saturday 18 July right through to Wednesday 22 July, it’s a write-off. The wave energy is weak to moderate (106 to 256), with mostly cross to onshore winds and bumpy conditions. Swell heights are tiny, between 2 ft and 6 ft, but the wind’s killing it. Don’t bother.

Thursday 23 July morning is the first glimmer. The wind goes glassy, and the swell is 3 ft from the ESE at 7 seconds. The energy is low (96), but with that glassy surface, it’s surfable. Just ordinary waves, mind you. The water temperature sits at 52°, which is pretty much normal for the time of year. Not a standout by any stretch.

Friday 24 July morning is similar. Clean conditions with a cross-offshore breeze from the NNE, swell 2 ft from the E at 8 seconds (108 weak energy). Again, surfable but nothing to write home about. Crowds are possible at Montoya, so you might have a few mates out, but it’s not worth fighting for.

Now, the one true standout in the whole 16-day window is Saturday 25 July morning. We’ve got some clouds, a light cross-offshore breeze from the NNE at 6 mph, and the swell comes in at 3 ft from the SSE with a period of 12 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell. The energy jumps to 280 (moderate), and conditions are clean. This is the best bet on offer. That longer period means cleaner, more powerful waves, and with the point setup here, it should line up nicely. If you can only paddle out once, this is the session.

After that, it’s back to mediocrity. Sunday 26 July through to Thursday 30 July has mostly poor conditions with cross-on or cross winds and weak energy (56 to 202). The swell’s around 2 ft to 4 ft, but it’s choppy and messy. Not worth a look.

Friday 31 July morning is clean with a cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is only 2 ft from the S at 9 seconds (140 energy). The wind is strong at 16 mph, so it’s clean but blown out. The late afternoon of Friday 31 July has a 25 mph cross-offshore wind and a 4 ft swell from the ESE at a short 5 seconds – that’s a lot of wind, and the wave quality will be poor. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on that day.

Saturday 1 August is similar: strong winds (25 to 28 mph), cross-offshore, but the swell is tiny (2 ft to 5 ft) and short-period. Not for the paddle surfer.

Finally, Sunday 2 August morning has clean cross-offshore winds, a 4 ft swell from the E at 8 seconds, and the energy is strong at 404. It’s described as marginal, with questionable tide conditions, so it’s not a guarantee. The afternoon has a 2 ft groundswell from the S at 12 seconds (310 energy, moderate), but again, it’s marginal. Could be a goer, but it’s risky.

That’s it, mate. The only real standout is the morning of Saturday 25 July. Keep an eye on the long-range for Sunday 2 August, but don’t get your hopes up too high.

Rusty.

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