Moss Landing Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Moss Landing. The short of it is, we’ve got a long, dry spell ahead before anything really worth paddling out for shows up. The first week and a half is pretty much a write-off, so don't be in a rush to wax up.

The first real sign of life isn't until Friday, September 11th. That morning we’ll see a solid SW groundswell filling in with a 5ft swell from the southwest, and a very long period of 16 seconds. That’s the kind of energy that travels a long way. The conditions are looking clean with a light SSE cross-offshore breeze, so the faces should be holding up nicely. The combined energy is moderate at 397. By the afternoon, the wind goes glassy – dead calm – and the swell holds at 3ft from the SW with a 15-second period and a combined energy of 417. This is the standout window of the whole forecast. The water is sitting at 60°F, which is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual there.

Following that little burst, it drops right back off. Through the weekend and into the next week, we’re back to small, weak, and mostly cross-onshore slop. Not worth your time.

Then, as we get into the second week, there’s a bit more size on the horizon but it’s messy. By Friday, September 18th, the swell pushes up to 5ft in the morning from the WNW with a short, weak period of 8 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 506, but the wind is onshore and the quality is marginal. By the afternoon, it’s 7ft from the WNW with a period of only 8 seconds and a combined energy of 763 – that’s a lot of power, but with that short period and cross-onshore wind, it’s going to be a bumpy, closed-out mess. Honestly, for the average surfer, that’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a good paddle session.

So, if you’re looking for the best of a pretty quiet 16 days, point your board at Friday, September 11th. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. The rest is mostly a waiting game.

Rusty.

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