Apache Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it, this time in feet and Fahrenheit.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with ya – this is a tough stretch for Apache Pier. We’re looking at a long, quiet run with little to get excited about. For the first week, the swell is tiny and the wind is mostly messy. It’s not until the weekend of August 23rd that we see a slight nudge in size, and even then, the quality just isn’t there. There’s a gap of several days with basically nothing worth paddling out for.

Let’s start at the beginning. Monday the 17th through to Friday the 22nd is a write-off. Swell is only 1 to 3 feet, with periods all over the shop but mostly short and weak. The combined wave energy is pitiful, ranging from 15 to 76, which is barely a ripple. Winds are mostly cross-onshore or onshore, so it’s choppy and sloppy. Not a single standout in that batch.

Saturday the 22nd morning is the first hint of something. We get a little bump of 3 feet from the south, period of 5 seconds, and an offshore wind from the NW at 5 km/h. It’s clean, but the energy is only 76, so it’s super weak. It’s surfable, but “very ordinary conditions” sums it up. Crowds are often a problem here, so for a wave that small, it’s not worth jostling for.

Sunday the 23rd morning has clean conditions again with a 2-foot south swell and light cross-offshore wind, but again, the period is short and the energy is bottom-of-the-barrel at 37. Not a stand-out.

The most promising window looks like Thursday the 27th through Sunday the 30th. The swell picks up a bit – we’re seeing 3 to 4 feet from the east and southeast, with periods getting longer, especially on the 28th afternoon with a 12-second south-east swell. The combined energy jumps into the 100s (130, 139, 167, 131), so there’s some proper movement in the water. But here’s the kicker – the wind is cross-on or directly onshore for every single one of those sessions. The waves will be choppy and lumpy. For a sandbar break like Apache Pier, that onshore wind kills the shape. This size is fine for all levels, but the quality is just poor.

The only real standout I’d highlight is Monday the 31st in the morning. It’s tiny – only 3 feet from the ENE with a 5-second period – but the wind is dead calm. Glassy. Clean. Combined energy is only 40, so it’s weak, but if you just want a quiet, clean session on a small board, that’s your best bet. It’s not a classic, but it’s the least messy option in the whole 16-day outlook. Expect crowds to be possible though, because it’s the only clean window.

Beyond that, Tuesday the 1st of September fades back to nothing.

Water temp is sitting at 84°F, which is about 1°F above the norm for this time of year – nothing wild, just a touch warmer than average.

So honestly, the only real tip I’ve got is to keep an eye on the glassy morning of the 31st. The rest is a grind.

Rusty

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