Apache Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s look at what’s on the cards for Apache Pier over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you right off the bat – it’s a tough stretch. There’s no real standout session here; we’re looking at a long, flat, and messy run. You’ll be waiting over a week before anything even starts to resemble a wave you’d paddle for. The water's sitting at 85°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, so at least you won’t be freezing while you’re staring at a flat ocean.

For the first week and a half, from Sunday the 12th all the way through to Sunday the 19th, it’s pretty grim. We’re talking tiny ankle-snatchers, mostly under 2ft, with weak wind chop and poor conditions. The swell energy is barely registering, often below 30 (weak energy). You’ll see a mix of winds, but nothing that cleans it up enough to make those tiny bumps worthwhile. The 19th sees a little bump in size to 2ft in the morning, but it’s still poor and not worth the effort.

Things finally show a pulse on Monday the 20th. The morning brings a 4ft swell from the SSW, and here's the kicker – it's glassy. The wind is a light northerly, dead calm, zero chop. For the first time in over a week, the surface will look like a lake. The combined energy hits 149 (moderate energy), so there’s a bit of push. But the period is only 6 seconds, so it’s weak, short-period windswell. It’s surfable in a very ordinary way, clean, but just not good. The afternoon gets messy again.

After that, the 21st and 22nd are a mixed bag. Wednesday the 22nd morning goes glassy again with a 3ft south swell and energy of 118 (moderate energy). Same story – surfable, but ordinary. The wind is off, it’s clean, but the swell lacks any real guts.

From the 23rd onward through to the 27th, we get a bit of height but the wind is almost always cross or cross-onshore, creating chop and lumpy conditions. Swells stay in the 3ft to 5ft range, all short-period junk. The energy picks up slightly – the 26th afternoon has 5ft and energy at 127 (moderate energy) – but with a fresh cross-shore and lumpy chop, it’s a battle. Honestly, with this much wind and poor quality surf at a beach break, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The best on offer? If you’re desperate and local, the glassy mornings on the 20th and 22nd are your only real windows. The conditions will be pristine, but the waves themselves are forgettable. It’s clean, but it’s not good. For the rest of the run, save your energy.

Rusty.

Read more