Moss Landing Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – the next couple of weeks at Moss Landing look pretty grim for a proper paddle session. The data shows a long stretch of poor conditions, but we’ll get to the only flicker of hope later on.

We’re looking at a solid blank run to start. From Friday the 11th to Sunday the 20th of September, there’s nothing worth getting wet for. That’s over a week of cross-onshore wind, choppy water, and messy little waves that just won’t clean up. The swell energy is mostly weak to moderate, often in the low hundreds or two to three hundred range (like 142 to 562), but the wind is the killer. It’s nearly always blowing from the west or southwest, putting a chop on everything.

Even when the swell bumps up a bit – like Sunday the 13th afternoon with 6 ft from the WNW – the wind is onshore and it’s just not shaping up. That’s expert-only territory size-wise, but with that wind, it’s a mess.

Now, here’s the thing. The break itself, Moss Landing, is advanced and very consistent, with an optimum swell from the northwest. It’s fairly exposed, so it can pick up energy. But for almost the whole period, the wind and wave quality just aren’t cooperating. The water temp is about 61°, which is pretty normal for this time of year (anomaly of 2°), so at least you won’t be freezing if you’re just standing on the sand.

The one standout, and I mean the *only* one that gets even a hint of potential, is a stretch around Monday the 22nd and into Wednesday the 24th of September. That’s still over a week away, so take it with a pinch of salt, but it’s the best we’ve got. The winds start to look a bit lighter, occasionally going onshore from the WNW with only a slight air (3 mph). Swell sizes climb to a solid 5 ft to 6 ft from the WNW, with periods around 9 seconds. The energy is strong, in the 400-500 range. The forecast says “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions,” which is way better than the “poor” we’ve been seeing. If that WNW wind holds light and the tide plays ball, there might be a few clean ones. But be warned, with that size and a period of 9 seconds, it could be a bit wonky at a beach break – better for stronger paddlers.

Otherwise, Saturday the 26th of September fades back into the poor category. Honestly, the whole run is a bit of a bummer. If the wind stays cross-onshore like this, the setup might honestly look more interesting for kite surfing than for a paddle session. Let’s hope the forecasts change for the better.

Rusty.

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