Apache Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let me tell you straight: the next 16 days are a real struggle for a wave. We’ve got a long stretch of very tiny, weak, and mostly messy surf on the cards.

First off, the big picture. We are looking at a period of almost non-stop poor surf conditions. The wave energy is a joke, mostly in the teens and twenties `(14)` to `(82)`, so there's nothing with any grunt behind it. The swell is tiny, rarely getting above `3 ft`, and it’s coming from the S or SE, which isn't ideal for the pier. The period is all over the place, from short 4-second wind slop to a rare 12-second groundswell, but even the longer period stuff lacks any size.

The first real chance, and the only highlight I’d even call a standout, comes on the morning of the 26th of August. The winds go light WSW, giving us a clean `cross-off` look at Apache Pier. The surf is still small, at about `3 ft` from the SSW, but for a brief moment, the conditions might be just about surfable. The combined energy is still weak at `(54)`, so don't expect barrels. It's a session for the longboard or a foamie. This is the one window, and it’s a fleeting one.

After that, we go right back into the doldrums. The rest of the period is a blur of onshore wind and tiny, choppy waves. The wind is mostly cross-on or onshore from the S, SE, and ENE, tearing up what little shape there is. There are a few glassy or clean mornings, like the 18th with a `0.7 ft` SSE groundswell, or the 24th of August with another `2 ft` S swell under clear skies, but the swell is simply too small to do anything with. The water temp is sitting at `84°F` for the first session, which is about normal for the time of year.

To put it bluntly, the 26th of August morning is the only time to even consider paddling out. Everything else is a flat spell with crummy wind. For the most part, you’re better off finding something else to do. The conditions are so poor for so long that it’s almost impressive.

Rusty.

Read more