Moss Landing Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch ahead for Moss Landing. We’re looking at a real quiet spell, so let’s get into it.

The overall pattern is pretty grim. From Tuesday the 28th to Monday the 10th of August, it’s a long run of poor surf conditions. The wind is stuck in a cross-onshore groove, mostly from the WSW, and the swell is just a weak, short-period affair from the WNW. The combined energy barely gets into the moderate range, hitting 170 (moderate) at best early on and staying weak to moderate pretty much the whole time, like 96 (weak) on Tuesday morning. The water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 60°F.

Tuesday the 28th is a write-off. Swell is 3ft with a period of only 7 seconds, and it’s all cross-onshore. Rubbish.

Wednesday and Thursday the 29th and 30th aren’t any better. The swell height bumps up to 5ft and 5ft, but the period stays short at 8 seconds, and the wind is still ruining it. The energy gets up to 280 (moderate) and 421 (moderate), but it’s not translating to anything rideable.

Friday the 31st through Sunday the 2nd of August is the same story. Cross-onshore wind, messy waves. The swell builds to 6ft by Sunday, and the energy is strong at 566 (moderate) and 590 (moderate), but with that wind, it’s just a choppy, blown-out mess. Not worth a paddle.

Monday the 3rd of August finally shows a glimmer with a “marginal” call on the morning. The swell is 6ft, period up to 10 seconds, and the wind is light, but it’s still cross-onshore. The energy is strong at 506 (moderate), but it’s not clean. The rest of that week is more of the same – poor surf with light cross-onshore winds. The swell drops back to 3ft by Wednesday the 5th.

The real standout, and it’s a long way off, is Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th of August. On Tuesday the 11th, the wind actually goes *on* shore from the W in the afternoon, and the combined energy jumps to 578 (moderate). That’s the most energy we see all period. The swell is 4ft from the WNW with a 9-second period. Then on Wednesday the 12th, the afternoon brings a 3ft swell from the SW with a very long period of 18 seconds. That’s a groundswell. The energy is 743 (strong). This is the best bet on offer, but it’s over a week and a half away, so keep an eye on it. A long period swell like that at Moss Landing, a fairly exposed spot, could be okay, but it’s a beach break, and groundswells can get a bit straight. Still, with those numbers, it’s the only chance of something decent.

Bottom line: For the next 10 days, don’t bother. The surf is poor. The only real potential is the second week, around August 11th and 12th, and that’s a long-range call. The break is very consistent, but it’s just not happening for now.

Rusty.

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