Playa Novillero Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's break down what's on the menu for Playa Novillero over the next couple of weeks.

Don't expect any fireworks. We're looking at a run of small, clean waves that will appeal mostly to longboarders and those on a mid-length. The swell is tiny, around 1 ft to 2 ft, and it's coming from the SW. The combined wave energy is weak, hovering around the 100-170 mark most days. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing to worry about on that front.

The first week is a real grind. From Saturday the 1st right through to Wednesday the 6th, the mornings are the only real window. You'll find glassy or clean conditions with light offshore breezes, but the waves are small and ordinary. The afternoons get blown out by westerly winds, making for poor surf. It's a classic case of "set the alarm early or don't bother."

Now, things start to get interesting from Friday the 7th. The swell ticks up just a little, but the big news is the period. We're seeing long-period groundswell from the SW, with periods hitting 18 seconds on Friday and 16 seconds over the weekend. That's a groundswell with some real energy behind it, even though the wave height is still only 2 ft to 2 ft. The combined energy readings jump up to 235-399, which is solid moderate energy. Because it's a long-period swell, the sets will be more defined and powerful, but it might break a bit straight on the beach. For a point or a river mouth, this would be a dream, but here it's just a welcome change.

The standout mornings are Friday the 7th, Saturday the 8th, and Sunday the 9th of August. All three mornings are glassy with light airs, and the swell is clean and lined up. The waves are still small, but the quality is a big step up from the week prior. Saturday the 8th is probably the pick of that bunch, with a 2 ft, 16-second SW swell and glassy conditions.

The following week repeats the pattern. The mornings from Monday the 10th through to the end of the run are the go. The swell direction shifts a touch to the WSW, and the period stays solid. The morning of Saturday the 15th looks promising with a 3 ft, 16-second WSW swell and clean cross-off winds, pushing the combined energy to 430. That's the biggest wave of the outlook, and it's a promising one, though it's still a long way out. The final morning on Sunday the 16th has zero wind and glassy conditions with a 3 ft, 15-second WSW swell. That's a good way to end the run.

The afternoons are consistently a write-off due to onshore wind, so don't bother paddling out after lunch. This is a small-wave period, so it's not a beginner's nightmare, but it's not a barrel-fest either. For the most part, it's a longboarder's paradise with clean, small waves. The groundswell days are the real highlight.

Rusty

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