Stela Maris Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get to it. This is Rusty.

We’re looking at Stela Maris for the next 16 days, and I gotta be straight with you—this stretch is gonna test your patience. The surf might look like something’s on the charts, but it’s mostly windblown, choppy, and lacking the kind of quality that gets you out of bed. Right off the bat, there’s a gap starting now (August 2nd) all the way through to the morning of Wednesday, August 6th, where the conditions are just plain poor. Garbage wind, weak swell, and not a single decent wave worth paddling for.

Come the morning of Thursday, August 6th, things nudge up to a *marginal* rating for the first time. The swell is small, only about 4 ft from the ESE with a short period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy is weak at 234. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the ENE though, so you might find a few crumbly ones if you’re desperate. But don’t expect much—it’s more of a “well, I’m already wet” kind of session.

The pattern barely improves after that. Friday, August 7th morning, the wind switches to a gentle cross-shore from the NE, with waves at 3 ft from the E and a short 7-second period. Combined energy is 158 – weak. Again, not terrible if you’ve got a log and low expectations. But honestly, for the next week and a half, that’s the best on offer: a small, short-period swell with gentle winds making for slightly less choppy surfaces. Crowds are possible at Stela Maris, but in this junky surf, the parking lot might be empty.

The only standout that catches my eye is the swell on August 12th, but it’s a cruel tease. Look at that Wednesday morning: a tiny 2 ft wave from the S, but with a long period of 15 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, and the combined energy is moderate at 287, but the problem is the wind is onshore from the E at 9 mph, and the wave size is laughable. Not really rideable. That afternoon it kicks up to 4 ft from the ESE, period 8 seconds, energy 302, but the onshore wind shreds it again.

The last few days of the window, from August 15th into the 17th, show some longer-period swell (11 to 13 seconds), but it’s all blown out onshore or cross-onshore. The combined energy is moderate to moderate-strong (377 on the Saturday morning, 432 that afternoon), but the wind is never clean enough to make it worthwhile. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a surf session—lots of chop, messy lines, and onshore wind picking up to 12 to 16 mph.

So here’s the bottom line: there is no real standout session in this 16-day window. The water temperature? I don’t have an exact number here, but the conditions are average for the time of year. If you’ve got flexibility, keep an eye on the long-range Saturday the 16th, but honestly, I’d take a pass and wait for the forecasts to change. It can’t stay this poor forever.

Rusty.

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