Stela Maris Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Gather 'round, folks—Rusty here, and I've been staring at the charts for Stela Maris. Now, if you’ve been dreaming of perfect barrels, I gotta tell ya, this stretch of the forecast is a bit of a challenge. We’re looking at a real quiet start, with the first surfable moment not even rolling in until Thursday the 20th of August, and even then, it’s only just a marginal offering. After that, the pattern looks pretty average for a while, with a real promising moment showing up right at the very tail end. So, let’s walk through it, slow and steady.

The week kicks off with a whimper. From Saturday the 15th right through to Wednesday the 19th, we’ve got a sustained run of *poor surf conditions*. The swell's around 3 ft to 7 ft, but the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore from the SE, and a lot of the time it’s a fresh breeze whipping it into a choppy mess. The combined wave energy is moderate, reaching values up to 621 on Sunday the 16th, but honestly, with that wind and short 7-to-8-second period it's not worth paddling out for. You’d just be fighting for scraps.

That first glimmer of hope arrives on Thursday morning the 20th. The wind goes light from the SE, almost a dead calm with that “slight air” feel, and we’re looking at a 5 ft swell from the ESE with a short 8-second period. The combined energy is still moderate at 250, but the charts call it *marginal*. It’s surfable, but you’ll be working for every wave.

Then from Friday the 21st right through to Sunday the 30th, we’re back to a long grind of poor conditions. The swells are mostly small, 2 ft to 4 ft, and the wind is frustrating—constantly onshore or cross-onshore from the E and ESE. The water temp is hovering around 79°F, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year, so it’s a nice day to be on the sand. The wave energy dips to low levels, down to 39 on Saturday the 22nd.

But hold onto your leashes, because there is one genuine standout to keep an eye on. The morning of Monday the 24th of August is a real gem. The wind dies off to a glassy calm from the NNE, and while the swell is only 4 ft from the east with that short 7-second period, the clean conditions will make it feel twice as good. Combined energy is moderate at 133, and it’s the only time in this entire outlook that we get that perfect *glassy* water. If you can get out for that window, jump on it.

Looking ahead to the final days of the month, Thursday morning the 27th has a little bit of cross-shore wind from the NE and a 4 ft swell from the east, which is again marginal. Saturday the 29th sees a cross-shore breeze from the NNE, with a 4 ft east swell that looks forgettable. The very last day, Sunday the 30th, is a write-off with onshore winds and a lumpy 3 ft swell.

So the long and short of it: the only true standout, the only moment that'll feel like proper surfing fun, is the glassy morning of Monday the 24th. The rest is a bit of a paddling slog. If you’re a die-hard, you might scratch out a session Thursday the 20th, but don’t expect much.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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