Morro Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m gonna level with you right off the bat: the next 16 days at Morro Beach are a pretty flat and frustrating run for the most part. We’ve got a real dry spell on our hands, so don’t be in a rush to get your wettie on. The water’s sitting at 69°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least it’ll feel nice when you’re sitting out there waiting for nothing.

The first real surf worth talking about doesn’t show up until the morning of Sunday the 19th of July. Even then, it’s only marginal. We’re looking at a 4 ft swell from the south with a 12-second period, and a moderate wave energy of 697 (combined energy). The wind is light and onshore from the SW, so it’s not totally blown out, but it’s not clean either. The conditions are described as marginal – questionable tide – so you might get a few, but it’s a low-percentage play. The afternoon sees similar energy at 784, still from the S at 4 ft, with light onshore wind. It’s a bit of a gamble.

The next sniff of hope comes on the morning of Tuesday the 22nd of July. There’s a 3 ft swell from the SSW with a 15-second period, delivering a moderate wave energy of 515. The wind is light and onshore from the SW again. It’s still marginal, but that longer period (15 seconds) suggests there’s a bit of groundswell in the mix, which could give the waves a bit more shape. The afternoon’s a bit better with a 3 ft swell from the S at 15 seconds, and energy of 641. Still marginal though.

Then we get a bit of a ramp-up. On the morning of Thursday the 23rd of July, the swell pushes to 5 ft from the south with a 13-second period, and the energy jumps to 843 (strong). Wind is light and cross-onshore from the S. It’s still rated marginal, but the size is getting there. The afternoon shows a 4 ft swell from the south, 14 seconds, and energy of 701.

Friday the 24th of July morning sees the biggest swell of the run so far: 5 ft from the south, 14-second period, and a strong wave energy of 1341. The wind is light and cross-onshore from the west. This is still listed as marginal, but if you’re desperate, that’s the biggest you’ll get. The afternoon gets choppy with a moderate 12 mph cross-onshore wind, so that window is narrow.

Now, the standout. Saturday the 25th of July morning is the only real moment of the whole outlook. The conditions are rated as “expect very good surf conditions.” We’ve got a 5 ft swell from the SSW with a 13-second period, and strong wave energy of 1189. But the kicker is the wind: it’s glassy. Absolutely glassy. That’s a major positive. The swell is around 5 ft, so it’s a solid size – not too big for intermediates, but it could be a bit much for beginners. The direction of the swell (SSW) matches the optimum swell direction from the guidance (SSW), so Morro Beach is set up perfectly for this. The break is a reef, so it’ll handle that longer-period groundswell well. Just keep in mind that crowds are often here, so you’ll have company. The afternoon drops back to 5 ft but with a light onshore wind, so the magic is only in the morning.

After that, it’s back to the doldrums. Sunday the 26th of July morning drops to 3 ft from the SSW with a long 19-second period, but with a light cross-onshore wind – it’s marginal. The energy is still solid at 869, but the size is tiny. The rest of the run through to the 30th of July is a mix of small swell (2 ft to 4 ft), mostly poor conditions, and light to gentle cross-onshore winds. Nothing worth paddling out for.

So, to sum it up: you’ve got a long wait. The first real chance is the morning of Saturday the 25th of July. That’s the one. Get there early for the glassy conditions, the 5 ft SSW groundswell, and the reef shaping it up. It’s the only standout in the whole 16 days. Everything else is either flat, blown out, or just marginal. If you’re not glued to that date, you’re looking at a lot of empty water.

Rusty.

Read more