Rancho Santini Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the menu for Rancho Santini over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough stretch. We’ve got a 16-day window ahead, but it’s gonna feel like a long, flat spell with nothing really worth paddling out for. The whole period is dominated by small, weak swell and persistent onshore winds that just won’t quit. The water is sitting at 71°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only silver lining.

The first real chance at a wave comes on Thursday, July 30th, in the afternoon. We’ll see a 5ft swell pushing in from the SSW with a period of 14 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell, but it’s got a lot of energy behind it, coming in at 911 (moderate wave energy). The trouble is, the wind is howling onshore from the WNW at 9 mph, so the ocean is going to be a mess. This is a beginner-friendly spot, but that swell is right on the edge of being too much for a learner, and with the wind, it’s just not enjoyable. Honestly, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Moving into Friday, July 31st, the swell drops back to 3ft in the morning, still from the SSW, with a 14-second period. The energy drops to 533 (moderate). The wind is still onshore, so it’s marginal at best. The waves are there, but the quality is poor. Friday afternoon and the rest of the weekend into early next week are all the same story: tiny 2ft to 2ft swell, weak 222 to 271 energy, and that annoying cross-onshore or onshore wind. It’s a blank run of days with no real recommendations.

Towards the end of the first week, on Monday, August 3rd, the swell direction shifts to the WNW with a short period of 9 seconds. Even with a light breeze, the energy is weak (275 to 339). It’s still poor. The same pattern holds through the middle of the month: small swells, rarely over 3ft, with energy levels barely cracking 300 to 400. The longest period we see is 19 seconds on Friday, August 7th, which is a very long groundswell, but it’s puny at 2ft. At a beach break, that kind of period will just make the waves stand up and close out, and it’s not worth the paddle.

This goes on and on. We’ve got a solid 15-day stretch of nothing but poor surf conditions. The best we can say is keep an eye on the long-range: around August 7th there’s a tiny window of slightly better swell direction, but it’s still tiny and the wind is still onshore. It’s a long wait for a wave that barely breaks. This is a place that can go quiet, and this is one of those times.

Rusty, signing off.

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