Apache Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a coffee and listen up. Rusty here, giving you the straight-up rundown on the next couple of weeks. I’ve got to be honest with you, it’s looking pretty grim for a proper surf session at Apache Pier. The next week is a write-off for any kind of quality ride, with just tiny, weak slop and rubbish conditions. You’re looking at a long stretch of nothing until things start to look a little more hopeful towards the end of the month and into early September.

From Sunday, August 23rd, right through the week, it’s a total dud. We’ve got swell heights barely cracking 3 ft, and when they do, it’s from the S or SE with a period of just 5 seconds – that’s pure wind chop. The wave energy is pitiful, barely getting above 45 (moderate wave energy) on the meter. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-shore, keeping things choppy and messy. There’s a glimmer of glass on Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th mornings, but with swell barely at 2 ft, you’d be doing more floating than surfing. Definitely not worth wetting a suit for.

The gap in any real surf stretches for over a week. The first sign of life doesn't show until Monday, August 31st. Even then, it’s just a whisper of 0.7 ft swell, but the period jumps to 18 seconds – that’s very long period groundswell. The energy is still low (49), but those are proper, long lines of swell. The wind is light and offshore in the morning, keeping it clean. It’s surfable, but don’t expect the world.

Tuesday, September 1st, is more of the same vibe. Clean conditions again with a light offshore or glassy morning. The swell is still tiny at 1 ft, but the period stays long (15 seconds). The energy is starting to build (80-95). It’s still not a standout, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Now, Wednesday, September 2nd is where it gets interesting. The morning session sees the swell bumping up to 2 ft from the SE with a period of 12 seconds and energy hitting 149 (moderate wave energy). The wind is a clean cross-offshore. This is your first decent opportunity. It’s not huge, but the quality is there with the longer period offering some shape. The wind goes onshore in the afternoon, so get on it early.

The run continues through the end of the week. Thursday morning is a bit of a miss with onshore winds, but Friday, September 4th, looks promising. Friday morning brings a clean 3 ft SE swell with moderate energy (102) and a nice 12 mph offshore wind. The afternoon also looks good with clean cross-offshore winds and energy spiking to 160 (moderate wave energy) from the same 3 ft SE swell. That Friday is shaping up to be a fun little window.

After that, it trails off again into tiny, weak wind swell for the weekend and into the next week. So, to sum it up: the next week is a complete loss. Your only real standouts are the mornings of Wednesday, September 2nd, and especially Friday, September 4th, when the conditions and swell finally line up for some clean, fun waves. It’s not a big swell, but with the longer period and clean wind, you could score some nice ones.

Stay patient, and keep an eye on those forecasts.

Rusty.

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