Moss Landing Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s get stuck into the outlook for Moss Landing. It’s a bit of a mixed bag over the next 16 days, with a long stretch of poor conditions before a couple of windows where things might just line up.

For the first week, from Monday the 24th of August right through to Sunday the 31st, it’s a real struggle. The swell is small and weak, mostly coming from the SW and then WNW, but the wind is a persistent cross-onshore, light to gentle breeze. The combined swell energy is weak, ranging from 106 to 338, and it’s just not offering any quality. The waves are small, choppy, and messy. It’s a complete write-off for paddle surfing.

The first sign of life comes on Tuesday the 1st of September. The morning session is hands-down the best on offer in the whole forecast. The wind goes glassy, a light offshore from the NW at 3 mph, and the swell is a clean 3 ft from the NW. The combined energy is weak at 97, but with that glassy surface, the waves will be clean and lined up. Moss Landing is a very consistent advanced spot, so you’ll need your wits about you, but for a surfer who knows the lineup, this is a real treat. The crowds are sometimes a factor, so expect company.

The rest of the first week of September stays marginal. Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd are cross-on and weak, with the swell energy between 79 and 161. It’s not worth the paddle.

We get a glimmer of hope on Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th of September. The swell picks up to 4 ft to 5 ft from the WNW, with a period building to 10 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to moderate levels of 226 to 371. The wind is still a light cross-onshore, so not perfect, but it’s surfable. The takeaway here is that the quality is marginal, but it’s a step up from the flatness.

Looking further out, Sunday the 6th of September is a standout. The swell reaches 5 ft from the WNW with a 10-second period, and the combined energy is a solid 520, which is strong. The wind is a light cross-shore from the NNE at 6 mph, which will keep the surface decent. This is properly sizable, not for beginners, but for the experienced crew at Moss Landing, it’s going to be a solid day of waves. The direction is from the WNW, which is not the optimum NW for the spot, but with that energy, there will be plenty of push.

After that, the surf fades through to the 8th of September, with the energy dropping to just 28. A long blank run to close out the forecast.

So, the clear standout is Tuesday 1st September morning for the glass and the clean lines. The secondary, but still solid option, is the Saturday 6th September for the bigger, more powerful swell.

Rusty

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