Apache Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cooking at Apache Pier.

Right off the bat, I gotta say, it's a pretty grim stretch ahead. We're looking at a solid run of days with nothing worth paddling out for. The first glimmer of anything even close to surfable doesn't show up until Thursday the 30th of July, and even then it's a tough sell.

For the first week and a half, from Wednesday the 22nd of July right through to Wednesday the 29th, we're dealing with a mix of weak, short-period windswell and persistent onshore or cross-shore winds. The swell is tiny, mostly under 3 feet, and the period is a pathetic 4 to 8 seconds. The combined energy is weak, barely hitting triple digits on a good day (100 at best). The wind is constantly messing it up, with a "cross-chop" or "lumpy" description following just about every session. There's just no power or shape to work with. It's a write-off for a surfboard.

Now, on Thursday the 30th of July, we get a little bit of a break. The morning sees a clean, cross-off shore breeze from the West at 5 km/h as a 3 feet S swell rolls in, but the energy is still low at 54. The real moment of interest is Thursday afternoon. The wind goes glassy, a rare thing, and the swell bumps up to 4 feet from the South with a combined energy of 129. The wave comment says "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions," and the score reflects that it's just barely a '1' out of 10. It's clean, but the swell is still short-period windswell at 6 seconds, so it won't have any grunt. It's the best of a bad bunch, but calling it a standout feels generous.

After that, it's back to the doldrums. The swell drops off again, and the wind turns back onshore. The last week of the forecast shows a little more energy in the water, with a 5 feet Southeast swell on Monday the 3rd of August showing a combined energy of 618, but the wind is cross-on from the South at 10 to 20 km/h, keeping conditions choppy and messy. It's a similar story on Wednesday the 5th of August with a 5 feet South swell, but the wind is just cross, not clean.

Honestly, for the entire 16-day window, there isn't a single day that I'd confidently call a good surf. The one standout, if you're desperate, is the glassy Thursday afternoon on the 30th of July. For a beginner, the 4 feet swell might be a bit much, but with it being clean and glassy, it's the only time you'll get a wave without a fight. Don't expect much, but that's the one to keep an eye on.

Rusty.

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