Morro Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab a coffee, I’ve had a good look at the charts for Morro Beach (Morro-Beach) and, well, it’s a bit of a frustrating outlook to be honest. The next 16 days are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle. Even the small windows where the numbers don’t look terrible, the wind and swell combo just isn’t coming together to deliver clean, rideable waves. This is a reef break, fair exposed to a SSW swell, which is a solid direction for the spot, but the energy just isn't being harnessed well.

Let's break it down from the start. Friday, July 10th kicks off with some 3ft SSW swell at 15 seconds, which is a nice, long groundswell. But the wind is cross-on from the south, and the wave comment is "poor surf conditions", so the surface is gonna be a messy, choppy affair. Combined swell energy is just 372 (moderate), but the wind kills it. That same story repeats right through the weekend, all the way into the next week. Saturday and Sunday are the same swell size and direction, with cross-on winds and energy hovering around 300-350 (moderate). Monday July 13th gets a rating of 1, meaning it's marginal, but again, the wind isn’t clean.

The whole first week is essentially a write-off. There's a consistent 3ft of SSW swell, which is a decent size, but the persistent cross-on or onshore wind means it's always blown out. Even Tuesday July 14th, when the swell drops to 2ft, it’s still poor. The water temp is 66°, which is about 0.5° above the long-term average, so it’s pretty normal for the time of year. Nothing exciting there, and nothing to take the sting out of the poor surf.

We hit a real low point mid-week around July 15th and 16th. Swell bottoms out at a tiny 1ft, though the period is very long (18-19 seconds) but the combined energy drops to weak levels (under 200). It's a classic case of a lot of water moving, but no power behind it at the beach. The wind is still a problem.

Now, there is one morning that stands out like a beacon in this fog. Tuesday, July 21st. The morning session looks promising. The forecast shows 3ft of swell from the SSW, a 16-second period, and here’s the key: glassy conditions with a light offshore wind from the SW at 3 mph. The wave comment is "expect good surf conditions" and the combined energy is a solid 426 (moderate). The swell direction (SSW) is a direct match for the optimum swell direction for this break. This is easily the best bet of the whole run. It’s really the only standout. The glassy wind will make the long-period groundswell incredibly smooth and lined up. But keep in mind, with a period of 16 seconds, the sets will have longer gaps and the waves could be a little walled at this beach, but on a reef, that long period should produce some proper, hollow walls. Crowds are listed as "often" here, so expect company if the forecast holds.

After that Tuesday morning, it goes back to the same old story. Cross-on winds and marginal or poor conditions. The following weekend (July 25th and 26th) sees the swell size jump up, hitting 5ft from the SSE, with combined energy readings soaring over 1000 (strong to very strong wave energy). That’s a lot of water, but again the wind is cross-on, and it looks like a choppy, disorganised mess. At that size and with that wind, it’s gonna be a washing machine.

So, the verdict is painful but simple. For the most part, the waves and the wind are just not friends for the next two weeks. There’s a 10-day stretch from July 10th through to the 20th that’s basically a write-off with no proper recommendations. The one true standout is the morning of Tuesday, July 21st. If you have a flexible schedule, that’s your window. Otherwise, it’s a waiting game. Stay patient.

Rusty.

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