Morro Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk Morro Beach in proper numbers. The first real chance is Sunday morning, August 16th. We’ve got a 3ft SSW swell with a 16-second period – that’s proper groundswell, lots of energy, and the combined energy is reading a solid 410. But the wind is cross-onshore from the WSW at 6 mph, which puts a bit of a crinkle on the surface. Water temp is 72°, which is much warmer than normal – about 5° above what you’d expect, so you can go in with a spring suit or less.

That morning is your best shot across the whole 16 days, but it’s still just marginal. The cross-onshore breeze keeps it from being clean. The break is a reef, consistent enough, for intermediates. It’s often crowded, so expect some company. Swell direction is SSW, which is right where the optimum is, but the wind direction is the weak link.

After that Sunday morning, it’s a tough stretch. Sunday afternoon turns poor, and from Monday the 17th all the way through the end of the month, it’s mostly zeroes and ones. Swell sizes bounce from 1ft to 3ft, but the winds stay cross-onshore or onshore, and the wave quality just isn’t there. There’s a tiny pulse on Sunday the 30th morning – 3ft, 15-second period, but again cross-onshore wind.

The standout is that Sunday the 16th morning. It’s not epic, but it’s the only session worth paddling out for. The long period means the reef will shape them up nicely, but the wind is the villain. For beginners, 3ft is manageable, but the reef and crowds make it a tricky choice. For experts, it’s undersized.

After that, there’s a long, quiet gap. Some late August mornings like the 29th show a similar 3ft, 16-second pulse, but the cross-onshore wind ruins the party again. The energy is moderate (504 for that one), but it’s all about the wind.

This stretch is a bummer. Morro Beach is usually fairly consistent, so this kind of dry run is a bit unusual, but it happens. Forecasts can always change, so don’t write it off completely.

- Rusty

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