Morro Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cookin’ for Morro Rock.

Honestly, mate, this 16-day window is a bit of a tough one. The forecast is calling for surf, but the conditions are just not playing nice for the most part. We’ve got a long run of “poor surf conditions” flagged across the board, so I’m not gonna lie to you—there’s no single day that screams “drop everything and go.” But there are a couple of windows that might be worth a look if you’re desperate for a paddle.

The pattern is stubbornly onshore or cross-onshore for days on end, with wind mostly out of the WNW. That’s gonna keep things messy. The water temp is about 64°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year at Morro Rock—not a bad thing for a summer wetsuit.

Let’s run through it. From Sunday the 16th through to Tuesday the 19th, we’re looking at weak, short-period windswell. Heights are mostly under 4 ft, with periods around 5-7 seconds, and the energy is weak to moderate (35-249). The wind is on it the whole time, so it’s not gonna be pretty. Wednesday the 20th morning sees a bump in energy to 592 with a 6 ft NW swell at 8 seconds, but that’s still onshore wind. Thursday the 21st and Friday the 22nd are more of the same story.

Then we hit a bit of a change around Sunday the 23rd of August. A long-period groundswell shows up from the SW, with periods of 18-19 seconds and moderate energy (207-240). The heights are tiny though—only 1 ft. That’s a tease. The long period means those waves will have some shape, but there’s just not enough size to do much with it. And the wind is still on it.

The next couple of days (24th-27th) are a mix of tiny SW groundswells and building WNW windswell, but the wind keeps shifting between cross-on and onshore. The energy numbers climb into the 200s and 300s, but the quality is still rated poor.

Now, here’s the one that might get your heart rate up a little. Friday the 28th of August morning, Morro Rock picks up a 6 ft NW swell at 8 seconds with strong energy (509). The wind is light cross-onshore from the WNW, which is not perfect, but it’s the best wave height of the whole run and the energy is solid. The swell direction is from the NW, which matches the optimum direction for this spot. The crowd factor here is “sometimes,” so you might have company, but it’s manageable. This is the most interesting session of the outlook. The afternoon gets bigger at 7 ft, but the wind picks up to a moderate breeze, making it choppier. For a beginner, anything over 5 ft is getting big, and at 7 ft it’s expert territory only.

After that, the last couple of days (29th-31st) fade back into weak, wind-affected slop.

So, if I’m being straight with you—the standout is Friday the 28th of August morning. The NW swell, the energy (509), and the fact that it’s the biggest cleanest-looking window make it the best bet, even with that light cross-onshore breeze. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best we’ve got.

Rusty.

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