Moss Landing Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, looking at the prospects for Moss Landing.

Let's be honest, the next two weeks are looking pretty flat and sad. The wind is mostly cross-onshore, and the swell is tiny. We're seeing a lot of wave energy readings in the 30 to 60 range, which is just weak. It's basically a small, choppy lake out there. The first few days, Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th, are a write-off for a proper paddle session. There's a touch of swell on Sunday morning at 4ft from the WNW, but it's got a cross-on breeze and the report calls it marginal at best. About the only thing I can say for the first week is that the water temp is about average for the time of year, so you won't freeze on the paddle out, but there's not much to paddle into.

Monday the 10th through to Friday the 15th is a real dead zone. The swell is a mix of tiny windswell and some longer-period stuff, but it’s all under 4ft and the wind is just never clean. The combined energy for those days is mostly a couple hundred, which is "moderate" on paper, but the conditions are all marked as "poor surf" or "marginal." It's a real grind. The waves are going to be messy and weak.

Now, here's a glimmer of hope, but it's a long way off. On the 19th of August, Wednesday morning, we see a pulse of 3ft swell from the WNW with a period of 12 seconds. That's a proper groundswell, and the energy jumps to 356. The wind is light from the west and onshore, but it's a light breeze. It's still a "marginal" call, but it's the best looking morning in the whole forecast. The afternoon of the same day sees the swell jump to 5ft with a period of 12 seconds and a massive energy reading of 662. That's the biggest energy of the whole period. But—and it's a big but—the wind is still a cross-on 9 mph from the WSW. It's a tease. For an advanced surfer, the morning of the 19th might be worth a look if you're desperate, but it's not a standout.

The final week, from the 20th to the 23rd, is more of the same: small, weak waves with cross-onshore wind. The energy is back in the 200s, and the swell is under 4ft. It's just not on.

So, to sum it up: there is no real standout session in this 16-day window. The only day that even sniffs a recommendation is Wednesday the 19th of August, and even that is a "marginal" call. If you're a beginner, you're out of luck because the only decent swell size (5ft) is too big for you anyway, and the rest is too small and messy. For the experts, the 19th is the only one to even think about, but the wind is a problem. It's a long, dry stretch.

Rusty.

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