Montoya Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the menu for Montoya. Gotta be straight with you, the first week and a half is a bit of a struggle. We’re looking at a solid stretch of poor surf from Wednesday the 22nd right through to the end of July, with mostly cross-onshore winds, short-period windswell, and messy conditions. The combined swell energy is mostly weak to moderate, with readings like 119, 253, and 153, but the wind just ruins it. That means we’ve got about a week of waiting for things to clean up.

The first real glimmer of hope shows up on Sunday morning, July 26th. It’s tiny – only 1.3ft of swell from the SSE with a 14-second period, and the combined energy is a weak 117. But the wind is offshore from the NNW, and conditions are clean. It’s surfable, but you’ll be on a longboard, and it’s more about getting wet than getting barreled.

Then we hit a dry spell again until the 1st of August. Saturday the 1st sees a jump in size – 6.9ft from the east, with a 10-second period, and combined energy jumping up to 810. That’s moderate to strong energy, but the wind is still cross-shore, and the forecast calls it marginal. Not the one to get excited about now.

Now, the standout. Sunday, August 2nd, is the morning you’ve been waiting for. The wind goes glassy from the NW, and we’ve got a solid 5.2ft of east swell with an 11-second period. The combined energy is a strong 595. The forecast says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is the pick of the run. The swell direction is east, which is a good match for Montoya’s optimum southern swell direction, but the quality and the glassy wind make it a winner. The sets will have some punch, and the period is long enough to give you proper waves. Keep in mind the crowds at Montoya can be an issue, so get there early.

Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th keep the good run going, with 4.6ft and 3.9ft of east swell, light offshore and glassy winds, and clean conditions. Combined energy is in the 300-400 range, so moderate but fun. Good for intermediates.

Further out, Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th look promising again. Wednesday morning sees 5.2ft from the ESE, 11-second period, and a combined energy of 667, with clean cross-offshore winds. Thursday the 6th morning has 4.6ft from the ESE, but with a very long 14-second period and combined energy of 801. That’s a strong groundswell. That long period means the waves will have plenty of energy and shape, but at a beach-and-point setup like Montoya, it might break a bit straight. Still, for the experienced crew, that’s a day to circle. It’s a week and a half away, so keep an eye on the charts.

Overall, the first week is a write-off, but the second week turns it right around. The standout is Sunday, August 2nd, with glassy conditions and a good east swell. The wait will be worth it.

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