Moonlight Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Moonlight Beach.

First off, I’ve got to be straight with you: the next 16 days are a real struggle. There’s nothing that’s going to blow your mind. The swell is tiny, the wind is a constant problem, and the whole setup looks messy. Right now, we’re looking at a long stretch of poor conditions with very few windows of even marginal surf. The first recommendation doesn’t roll around until Tuesday the 18th, and even then it’s a real battle.

The first spot to check is Moonlight Beach. This is a beginner-friendly, exposed beach break, but it’s inconsistent at the best of times. On Tuesday morning the 18th, we’ve got a 2ft SSW swell with a very long 16-second period. That’s proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy is moderate at 397, but the wind is a cross-on 6 mph from the WSW. That’s going to mess up the surface, leaving it bumpy with small wind ripples. It’s a marginal call at best. The water temp is about average for this time of year.

The pattern just repeats itself. Tuesday afternoon the 18th is a write-off with onshore wind. Wednesday the 19th sees a tiny bump to 3ft, still with that long period, but the wind stays cross-on or onshore, keeping things messy. Thursday the 20th drops to 3ft, period drops to 14 seconds, and the energy weakens (321). This is a poor run. Friday the 21st is even smaller at 2ft, and by Saturday the 22nd the swell bottoms out at 2ft.

There’s a gap of a few days here where the surf is just too poor to bother with. The wind is relentless from the west or WSW, and the wave heights are struggling to stay above 2ft. The only real shift comes on the 27th of August, Thursday morning, when a short-period, 4ft W swell (8 seconds) shows up. That’s weak, choppy, and messy – more of a windswell than anything worth paddling out for.

The highlight of the entire outlook, and I mean the only thing that gets my heart beating a little faster, is the morning of Saturday the 29th of August. We’ve got a 3ft SSW swell, long-period at 18 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 816 – that’s moderate wave energy. The wind is a light 6 mph cross-on from the SW, which is still a problem, but it’s the best we’ve got. It’s still marginal, but that long period means more shape and energy in the water. This is the one morning to check for a few clean-ish lines. Sunday the 30th is similar, with a 4ft SSW swell and 951 energy, but the wind picks up to 9 mph, making it choppier.

After that, it drops off again. The beginning of September sees the swell fade back to 2ft to 3ft with poor winds. Honestly, for a beach break with this kind of cross-onshore breeze and small swell, it’s more interesting for the kite crew than the paddle crew. If you’re desperate, keep an eye on that Saturday the 29th morning, but keep your expectations low.

Rusty.

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