Moss Landing Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Look, I've gotta be straight with you – this 16-day window for Moss Landing is a tough one. We're looking at a real drought of quality surf. The pattern is set in with a persistent cross-onshore wind from the WSW and a WNW swell that just can't seem to find its groove. The water temp is sitting at 61° initially, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that's about the only upside.

We kick off on Saturday the 25th of July, and it's a write-off. Swell at 5 ft from the WNW, but the period is a short, weak 5 seconds, and the combined energy is only moderate at 110. That cross-on wind from the WSW at 15 km/h just makes it choppy and messy. It's poor, plain and simple. The next few days are the same story: Sunday the 26th morning has a tiny 3 ft swell with next to no energy (42), and while it picks up a bit in the afternoon to 4 ft, that wind is still messing it up. This pattern of light to gentle cross-onshore winds and small, choppy waves just keeps repeating through the week. Monday the 27th afternoon sees the swell nudge up to 5 ft, but the period is still a short 6 seconds, so it's all wind-slop. The energy is up to 154, but it's poor quality.

We're basically looking at a solid week of nothing. The wind barely shifts, and the swell direction stays locked in from the WNW, which is the wrong angle for this spot. The forecast says it's a "fairly exposed" break, but with that cross-on wind, it's not doing us any favours. It's not until Sunday the 2nd of August that we see a glimmer. The morning shows a 5 ft swell with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 410 – that's a solid moderate energy. The wind is still a light cross-on, but the wave comment is "marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions." So, it's not a total loss, but it's far from a stand-out.

Then we get another dry spell. The mornings on Wednesday the 5th of August and Thursday the 6th of August also get a "marginal" rating. The 5th has a 4 ft swell but a period of 10 seconds, giving it a decent energy of 308. The 6th has a 5 ft swell with a 9-second period and energy of 431. Still, that cross-on wind is the killer. The wind is always from the W or WSW, and it's always cross-onshore, so the surface is never clean. There's no offshore wind in the entire forecast.

Honestly, for the whole 16-day run, there's not a single session I'd point you to as a must-do. The swell is too weak and short-period for most of it, and the wind is always from the wrong side. If you're desperate, the mornings of the 2nd, 5th, and 6th of August offer the biggest, most energetic swell, but the conditions are still marginal. For a beginner, the swell is mostly under 5 ft, so it's not too big, but the chop makes it challenging. For an expert, there's nothing here to get excited about. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, given the constant cross-on wind and the consistent swell. Hang in there, but this one's a tough pill to swallow.

Rusty.

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