Moss Landing Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Gather 'round, crew. Rusty here, and I've got to be straight with you—the next 16 days at Moss Landing are looking pretty grim. The forecast is calling for a persistent run of poor surf conditions, with no standout sessions on the horizon. It's a tough stretch, but that's the way it goes sometimes. Let's break down the details.

The water temperature at Moss Landing is sitting at 61°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. A bit of extra warmth in the water, but it won't help the waves.

We're looking at a long stretch of poor conditions starting now and running through to the end of the forecast period. The first few days are all zero-rated, with crosses blowing from the west-southwest and west, keeping the surf messy and small. Swell heights are mostly around 1ft to 2ft, with periods ranging from 11 to 18 seconds, but the energy is weak—combining to only 103 to 250 (moderate at best). The cross-on wind is a constant theme, which means choppy, wind-rippled faces.

The first real chance of anything rideable doesn't pop up until the first week of September. On Tuesday, September 1st, the afternoon sees a bump in swell to 6ft from the WNW, with a period of 8 seconds and combined energy of 379 (moderate). The wind is light from the SW, but it's still cross-on. Still, the wave comment says "poor surf conditions," so it's a stretch.

The only glimmer is on Wednesday, September 2nd, in the morning. The swell is 4ft from the WNW, period 8 seconds, with combined energy of 386 (moderate). The wind is light from the W, but it's cross-on again. The wave comment calls it "marginal"—the first and only time we see that. It's not great, but it's the best we've got. The swell direction is WNW, which matches the optimum swell direction for Moss Landing (NW), so it's coming from the right angle. Still, the period is short and the wind is cross-on, so expect bumpy, weak waves.

The rest of the first week of September continues with poor surf, small to moderate swell, and cross-on winds. Swell heights reach 6ft on the afternoon of September 2nd and again on September 4th, but with periods of just 7 to 9 seconds, it's all close-range windswell—messy and inconsistent. The energy gets up to 582 (moderate to strong) on September 4th afternoon, but with poor conditions, that's more for the kite surfers than paddle surfers.

Bottom line: there's nothing to get excited about for the next two weeks. The best you can hope for is a marginal morning on September 2nd with small, weak, cross-on waves. The rest is a washout. If you're desperate, you might scratch a wave or two, but don't expect much. Keep an eye on the forecast—it can change.

Rusty.

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