Montoya Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. I’m lookin’ at Montoya here, and honestly, it’s a pretty grim picture for the next 16 days. We’ve got a stretch of really small, weak surf that’s mostly blown out or just plain ugly. The water temp is sittin’ at about 53°, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year – nothin’ wild there. The combined swell energy is mostly in the low two digits or barely cracking three digits at best, so it’s weak all the way through.

There’s a big gap of almost nothing surfable from the start until Thursday, September 3rd. The first few days – Sunday the 30th through Tuesday the 1st – are all tiny, choppy, cross-onshore junk, with swell heights under 3 feet and period as low as 4 seconds. Not worth paddling out.

That Thursday morning, September 3rd, we finally get a tiny glimmer: a 3 ft easterly swell at 10 seconds, with a moderate offshore wind from the NNW. The combined energy hits 128, which is weak but at least it’s clean. The waves are ridable but ordinary – really just a small, workable option if you’re desperate.

After that, it goes sour again with strong cross and cross-onshore winds from the SW on the 4th and 5th, and the swell jumps up to 7 ft on the Saturday morning of the 5th – but with 19 mph cross-onshore winds, it’s messy and not fun. That 7 ft S swell (energy 469) is too big for beginners anyway, and with those winds, it’s just a washing machine. Unless you’re a kiter – then it might be more interesting for you.

The Sunday the 6th still has some size (5 ft SSE) but the wind is cross-onshore from the south, so the quality’s poor.

Through the second week, it’s a parade of tiny, weak swells – under 3 feet, short periods, and a mix of onshore or cross-on winds. Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th barely scrape together 1 ft to 2 ft surf. The only halfway decent moment in the second week is Sunday the 13th: a 4 ft easterly swell with a light cross-offshore wind from the WSW, and the energy at 112. Clean, but the waves are ordinary.

Honestly, there are no standouts here. The best on offer is that Thursday morning, September 3rd, and maybe that Sunday the 13th, but neither is worth getting excited about. If you’re desperate for a splash, take the 3rd for the clean conditions, but keep your expectations low. Otherwise, wait for a better forecast.

- Rusty

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