Rancho Santini Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks at Rancho Santini are looking pretty grim. We’ve got a consistent line of small, mostly onshore swell, and the wind is just a pain in the arse for most of the run. The water’s sitting at 70°F which is bang on average for this time of year, so at least you won’t be freezing your nuts off.

We kick off on Wednesday, the 5th of August. There’s a bit of a south-west swell pushing through, with wave heights around 2ft, and a period of 14 seconds – that’s a long-period groundswell, but it’s being blown out by a 9 mph onshore breeze from the WNW. The combined energy is moderate (201), but the report says “poor surf conditions,” and I’m not gonna argue with that. The break is exposed, so that onshore wind is just wrecking the shape.

Thursday morning, the 6th, is a bit of the same story: 2ft, south-west groundswell, 13-second period, but the wind is onshore at 6 mph. The combined energy drops to 138, which is weak. Afternoon improves a little with a bit more push (265), but the wind stays onshore from the west. Still poor.

Friday morning, the 7th, is the only time you might want to paddle out. We’ve got a 2ft groundswell from the south-south-west, but check out the period: 19 seconds! That’s very long-period energy, and the combined energy jumps to 519 (moderate). The wind is onshore from the west at 9 mph, but it’s a light breeze, and the report says “marginal surf forecast.” That’s the best you’re gonna get. It’s a beginner spot, so the waves are small, but that long period might make for some cleanish lines if the wind cooperates. It’s inconsistent though, so don’t expect a party.

From Friday afternoon right through to the end of the 16-day window, it’s a saga of “poor” or “marginal” surf. The swell hangs around 2ft to 4ft, mostly from the south-west, but the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore from the west, north-west, or south-west for the whole time. The wave energy varies from moderate to strong (like 672 on the 14th, or 828 on the afternoon of the 14th), but the quality is just not there. By the 18th of August, we get a shift to a short-period, 8-second swell from the west-north-west at 4ft – that’s windswell, and it’s messy. The combined energy is still moderate (417), but with a 12 mph cross-onshore wind, it’s a choppy, blown-out mess.

The best of a bad bunch is that Friday morning, the 7th of August. It’s not a standout by any stretch, but if you’re a beginner and you’re desperate, you might find a few long-period, south-south-west lines that are cleaner than the rest. The wind is onshore, but it’s light. After that, it’s a lot of waiting for something that never really shows up.

Hang in there, mates. The forecasts can change, but this run is a tough one.

Rusty.

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