Stela Maris Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get stuck into what’s on offer at Stela Maris for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I’ll be straight with you: this forecast is a tough one. For the first ten days or so, it’s a real struggle. The wind is mostly from the SSE or ESE, either cross-on or onshore, and it’s chopping up what little swell there is. The water temp is sitting at 79°, which is about normal for this time of year—nothing out of the ordinary there.

We’ve got a few days of consistent, but poor, surf. The wind just won’t let up. Wednesday the 12th morning has rain showers and 16 mph winds from the SE, pushing a 4 ft ESE swell with a short 7-second period. The combined energy is moderate at 379. It’s ugly. By afternoon, it’s even worse – 22 mph winds and a lumpy 8 ft SSE swell. That’s a lot of water moving around, but it’s a mess. Thursday and Friday are more of the same – choppy, poor conditions. The energy values are all over the place, but it doesn’t matter much when the wind is ruining it.

Then, finally, a glimmer. Friday morning, the 14th of August. The wind goes glassy. I mean, dead calm. The swell drops to 3 ft from the SSE, but with a long 13-second period. That’s a groundswell, my friends. The combined energy is moderate at 496, and for a few hours, it’s going to be clean. It’s the only time in the whole outlook where the word “good” is used. It’s a small window, and the swell is small, but if you can get out there, you might find a few lined-up runners. The direction is SSE, which is a bit off the optimum S, but with that glassy top, it’ll be the best you’ll get.

After that, it’s back to the grind. The weekend and the following week are a write-off – mostly onshore winds, small choppy swell, and poor conditions. The energy values drop, with some readings down to 54 and 88, which is weak. There’s a hint of a longer period swell from the S around the 26th and 27th, with periods of 15 to 17 seconds, but the wind is still cross-on from the east, so it’s going to be lumpy. It’s a real shame because that long period energy would be sweet at a point break, but here it’s just going to be a bumpy ride.

So, the bottom line? There’s one standout: Friday morning, the 14th of August. The glassy conditions are your only shot at something clean. For the rest of the 16 days, you’re looking at a lot of paddling for not much reward. Stay patient, and keep an eye on the wind.

Rusty.

Read more