Morro Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s a period of mostly lumpy, marginal surf at Morro Beach. There’s a relentless run of onshore and cross-onshore winds that really mess up the clean lines you’d want. The setup is a reef break, so it does have some shape potential, but the wind is going to be the main story for most of the next two weeks.

We start off the run on Monday, the 20th, with a poor surf call. The combined energy is moderate (336), but the wind is on it, and the swell is short and weak. You’ve got a 4ft SSW swell coming in at 11 seconds, but it’s just not going to hold up. The water temp is a notable 70°F, which is much warmer than average for this time of year, so you can leave the winter suit at home.

Tuesday the 21st is still marginal. The morning sees a 4ft SSW swell with a 16-second period, giving a decent energy reading (701), but it's still onshore wind. It’s a classic case of a longer period groundswell that might have some push, but the wind is going to flatten it out. The afternoon is similar, just smaller. This pattern of onshore or cross-onshore winds with marginal surf continues right through to the end of July.

The one standout in this whole forecast is likely the afternoon of Tuesday, August 4th. The combined energy jumps to 1355 – strong wave energy. The swell is 5ft from the S at 15 seconds. That’s a proper long-period groundswell. The wind is a slight breeze from the WSW, which is cross-onshore, but it’s so light it’s really just a ripple. This is the best on offer, the only time the conditions look close to clean. Because it’s over a week away, treat this as a promising but less certain call. It’s a reef break, so a long-period S swell like that could line up nicely, but it’s not going to be for beginners at 5ft. The crowds are listed as "often" here, so expect company if it fires.

The rest of the run is a long stretch of poor or marginal conditions. From the 20th of July all the way to the 4th of August, there’s very little to get excited about. The wind is almost always a problem. The morning of the 4th of August also shows a 5ft S swell with a 15-second period (1189 energy), but the wind is still cross-onshore. It’s the afternoon that’s the best window.

Honestly, this is a bleak outlook. The surf is mostly small and wind-affected for a solid two weeks. The only flicker of hope is that Tuesday afternoon, August 4th. For now, I’d be checking the wind forecasts closer to that date, because that’s the only real chance for a decent wave. If you're desperate, you might get a few grovelly ones on the morning of the 4th.

- Rusty

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