Moss Landing Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. We’ve got Moss Landing on the radar for the next 16 days, and I’ll be honest, this one’s a bit of a slow burner. The whole period is pretty quiet with a lot of marginal days, so don’t go expecting any fireworks.

Water temp is sitting at 62°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – a nice little bonus for the skin.

We kick off on Sunday, 23 August, with tiny swell. The morning shows some weak 1ft SW groundswell with a long period of 19 seconds, but it’s coming in cross-on from a light W breeze. The combined energy is only 278 (moderate), but it’s just not enough to get excited about. The report says “marginal.” After that, it’s pretty much a flat spell. From Sunday afternoon right through to Friday, 28 August morning, the surf is mostly poor or marginal. The wind stays light, but the swell is tiny – under 3ft most of the time – and the period drops off. There’s a window of onshore wind on Tuesday morning, 25 August, with a 2ft SW swell and 16-second period, but the energy is still weak. Honestly, it’s a big gap of a few days with nothing worth paddling out for.

Things pick up a little on Friday, 28 August morning. The swell jumps to 5ft from the NW with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy is 352 (moderate). The wind is a light cross-on from the W, and the report calls it “marginal.” It’s not perfect, but it’s the first real sign of life. This trend continues through the weekend. Saturday, 29 August, has 4ft to 5ft WNW swell, period around 7-8 seconds, and light cross-on wind. The energy is moderate (153-210). Still, the reports keep saying “poor” or “marginal,” so the quality isn’t there.

The standout for the whole period looks like it’s shaping up for Friday, 4 September. That morning, we’ve got a 5ft WNW swell with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy hits 389 (moderate). The wind is light cross-on from the WSW, and the report is “marginal.” It’s not a classic, but it’s the biggest, most energetic swell we’ll see in this window. The afternoon holds 4ft with similar energy. This is the best on offer, but it’s far out, so keep an eye on it – forecasts can change.

After that, it fades again. Saturday, 5 September, drops to 3ft, and by Sunday, 6 September, we’re back to 3ft WNW swell with energy falling to 99 (weak). The final day, Monday, 7 September, has a 3ft NW swell with a long period of 11 seconds, energy at 233, but it’s still “poor.”

The bottom line: Moss Landing is a very consistent, fairly exposed advanced spot, but this 16-day run is mostly a struggle. The best window is around 4 September, but it’s marginal. The combined energy never gets into the strong range, and the wind is always cross-on, so don’t expect glassy perfection. If you’re a beginner, the swell stays under 5ft for most of it, so it’s manageable, but the quality is lacking. For the experts, there’s nothing over 8ft, so it’s not a big-wave day.

Keep your expectations low, and maybe wait for the next forecast update.

Rusty.

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