Rancho Santini Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s shaping up for Rancho Santini over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, the first week is a tough one. From Saturday the 15th through to about Sunday the 23rd, it’s a long, frustrating stretch with very little to get excited about. Swell stays small, mostly running 1ft to 3ft, coming from the SW or SSW with a solid period in the 13 to 16 second range – so there’s that long-period groundswell energy – but the wind is the problem. A moderate cross-onshore breeze from the WNW or NW blowing 12 mph keeps things choppy and messy. The combined swell energy is weak to moderate, sitting mostly between 255 and 691, which tells you there’s just not enough grunt to clean it up. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing wild. It’s one of those weeks where you keep checking the forecast and hoping.

We finally get a break on Saturday the 22nd with a marginal call on a tiny 1ft SSW swell, but the real first crack comes Sunday the 23rd afternoon. The wind swings offshore from the ENE at just 6 mph, and the wave comment flips to “expect good surf conditions” with clean lines. The swell is small though – only 2ft from the SSW with a 13-second period – so it’s not a big day, but for a clean little session, that’s your early winner.

The standout window is definitely the end of the run. Tuesday the 25th brings a notable jump. Tuesday morning shows a 5ft S swell, building to 6ft by the afternoon, with a period of 16 seconds and combined energy jumping to 1416 and 1902 – that’s moderate to strong energy. The wind stays light cross-onshore from the WSW at 6 mph, so it’s not glassy but only small ripples on the surface. This is the best-looking window in the whole forecast. The S swell direction suits the optimum W direction decently, and the size is solid but not out of control. Keep in mind that with a 15-16 second period, this is long-period groundswell, so at a beach break it might stand up and barrel or close out – best for surfers who know how to handle a fast wave.

By Wednesday the 26th morning, the swell peaks at 7ft from the SSW (period 15 seconds, energy 2141), which is strong and squarely in expert territory. The wind is onshore from the WNW at 9 mph, adding some chop. Not an easy day.

After that, the swell eases through the 27th to the 30th, with swells from the SSW and SW dropping from 6ft down to around 3ft to 5ft. Winds turn lighter and more onshore or cross-onshore, keeping things marginal but not disastrous.

So, here’s the call: Sunday the 23rd afternoon for a clean small-wave session, but the real standout is Tuesday the 25th when the S swell pumps in at 5ft to 6ft with light winds. That’s your day. Friday the 28th also looks decent with a 5ft to 6ft SSW swell and clean onshore wind, but it’s a step down.

It’s a slow first week, but the second half has some proper swell. Hang in there.

Rusty.

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