Rancho Santini Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Rancho Santini over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with ya – it’s a moody stretch.

The overall pattern is dominated by a consistent, long-period SSW groundswell, but the wind is a real pain in the arse for most of it. We’re looking at a lot of cross-onshore breezes that are gonna mess up the surface. The good news is the swell has plenty of energy behind it, with readings in the moderate range (508) and even pushing into the strong zone (596 to 689) in the second week, but it’s a classic case of “energy ain’t everything.”

The water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 71°F with a 3°F anomaly, so you might not need a full wetsuit.

Friday the 7th of August is the only real window to get excited about. Friday morning is the standout. We’ve got a clean 2ft SSW swell with a very long 19 second period – that’s proper groundswell energy (508). The wind is offshore and light at 9 mph, making for clean conditions. This is a beginner-friendly break that’s consistent, so it’ll be fun, but watch for those long-period sets; they’ll hold up and offer some nice lines. Crowds are possible here, so get in early. That morning is the best surf on offer by a long shot. Friday afternoon gets a bit more cross-on wind, and the quality drops off.

After that, it’s a rough run. From Saturday the 8th of August all the way through to Saturday the 22nd of August, the wind is consistently cross-onshore or worse, with moderate breezes kicking up chop. The swell hangs around, but it’s either “poor surf conditions” or “marginal” at best. The occasional morning window with offshore wind shows up, like Sunday the 9th, and Thursday the 13th, but the swell is small and the energy is weak. The second week sees a bit more size (3ft to 4ft) and some strong energy readings (up to 688), but the wind is relentless – mostly NW at 12 mph to 16 mph cross-onshore, which is just gonna make it a choppy mess. For a beach break setup, this is more of a kite-surfing kind of thing than a clean paddle session.

The long-range swell around the 22nd of August shows a 21-second period, but with a clean 2ft swell and moderate cross-onshore wind, it’s a tease. Keep an eye on it, but don’t hold your breath.

So, to sum it up: Friday morning, 7th of August, is your one shot. Get it while it’s good.

Rusty.

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