Morro Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a coffee and settle in, because this is a long-range look at Morro Rock, and truth be told, it's a bit of a wait for the good stuff. Let’s be honest, right now the surf is pretty average. The swell is tiny and onshore. We’ve got a long stretch of marginal conditions comin' up.

From now through to at least the middle of next week, we’re looking at a run of small, weak swell. Most days you’ll see waves around 2 ft to 3 ft, coming from the WNW with a short period of 8 to 9 seconds. The wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore from the WSW and W, which isn’t doing the wave quality any favours. It’s going to be bumpy and uninviting. The combined swell energy is mostly in the double or low triple digits, like 77 (moderate) on Tuesday morning, climbing to 141 (moderate) on Wednesday morning, but the poor conditions just kill it. You’re basically looking at a solid week of "maybe better to stay in bed" vibes.

Monday the 16th afternoon shows a slight spike in height to 4 ft from the WNW, but the period drops right off to a pathetic 5 seconds, which is just wind slop. Energy hits 120 (moderate), but it’s not surfable in any meaningful way.

We get a bit more size on Wednesday the 19th afternoon, with swell hitting 5 ft from the WNW, but it’s still a short-period 6 seconds and square onshore. The energy is up to 225 (strong), but again, it’s messy. This pattern of small, windy, onshore dribble carries on. Don’t get too excited about Thursday the 21st either – the swell jumps to 6 ft from the WNW (274 energy – strong), but that’s a raw, no-good, westerly wind swell.

Now, here’s the kicker. The real standout doesn’t come until the second week. Keep your eye on Saturday, the 23rd of August. We finally get a change in direction. The swell swings around to the SW, and the period jumps up. On Sunday morning, the 24th, we’re looking at a 1 ft swell from the SW with a ridiculously long 19-second period. Now, that’s a proper groundswell. The wind is light and onshore from the W, which isn’t perfect, but that long period brings some serious potential. The combined energy on that morning is 180 (strong). This is a very long-period groundswell, so at a break like Morro Rock, which is a beach-and-reef setup, it might not be the best shape for the beachies as it can break a bit straight, but the reef sections should offer some genuine lines.

Monday the 25th morning sees the swell a touch bigger at 2 ft from the SW, still with a 18-second period, and light offshore WNW wind. That’s the one. That’s the window you want to be watching. The energy is up to 210 (strong). This is the only real window of quality in the entire 16-day period. It’s a long way out, so treat it as a promising but not guaranteed swell. But for now, that’s the one true standout. Everything before that is forgettable.

So, to sum it up: a whole lot of nothing for the next week, then a late-summer hope on the 24th and 25th of August for some clean, long-period SW groundswell. The water temp sits around 63°, which is about average for this time of year.

Rusty

Read more