Moss Landing Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Moss Landing. We’ve got a solid 16-day window ahead, but don’t get your hopes up for the first week or so – it’s a bit of a slow burner. The water temp is sitting at about 60°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real sniff of anything rideable doesn’t kick in until Wednesday, August 12th, and even then it’s a marginal call. That morning we’ve got a 4ft swell from the WNW at 9 seconds, with the combined energy at 409 (moderate). The wind is a light cross-onshore though, so it’ll be bumpy and hard to love. It’s not a write-off, but you’d be scraping for the clean ones.

Thursday, August 13th, brings a shift. The morning shows a 3ft swell from the W with a nice 12-second period – that’s some proper groundswell energy starting to show through. The wind even flips to straight onshore, but the word “on” is actually good here because it means it’s blowing straight from the west. That combined energy jumps to 485 (strong), so there’s some push in the water. It’s still only a 1/10, but that long period means the waves will have more shape and more gap between sets. It’s a picky session, but not a total loss.

After that, things get a bit flat and funky for a long stretch. From Friday, August 14th, all the way through to Tuesday, August 19th, the swell drops off hard – mostly 1ft to 2ft, with short periods and weak combined energy. It’s just not worth paddling out for most of that run. You’re looking at a good 5-day gap of barely any surf.

Then, on Wednesday, August 19th, we start to see a pulse. The afternoon brings a 2ft swell from the WNW at 13 seconds – again, that long period groundswell. The combined energy climbs to 271 (moderate). It’s not big, but the wind stays light cross-onshore. If you’re a log rider or on a fish, the afternoon might have a few clean-ish lines.

The standout window looks to be Thursday, August 20th, and Friday, August 21st. Thursday morning has a 4ft swell from the WNW with a 12-second period and combined energy of 326 (moderate). The wind is a light cross-onshore, so it’s not glassy but it’s rideable. Thursday afternoon ramps up to 5ft from the WNW at 11 seconds, with energy hitting 484 (strong). That’s the best combo of size and power in the whole run. Friday afternoon matches that with 5ft again and 420 energy (strong). It’s all cross-onshore wind, but if the swell direction lines up with the break’s optimum from the NW, you’ll find some workable walls. Just be aware that crowds can show up here sometimes, and with this being a fairly exposed spot, it can get a bit of a circus.

One last note: Saturday, August 22nd, the afternoon throws a curveball – a 1ft swell from the SW but with a super long 21-second period. That combined energy is 258 (moderate). That kind of period at a beach setup can be a bit weird, often breaking too straight, but for a point or reef, it’d be dreamy. Since Moss Landing is a beach, take it with a grain of salt.

Overall, the best bet is Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st. The swell is solid, the period is good, and the energy is there. Don’t bother with the first week unless you’re desperate. Keep an eye on the wind, and if it cleans up, you’re in for a treat.

Rusty.

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