Apache Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get real about Apache Pier. I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at this stretch of sand more times than I care to count.

Honestly, folks, the next 16 days are looking pretty flat and sad for Apache Pier. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing good. The first recommendation isn’t really a recommendation at all—the whole period is a wash. From Tuesday the 8th all the way through to Wednesday the 23rd, it’s a major gap of poor surf. You’d be lucky to find anything knee-high that isn’t a chopped-up mess. The wave energy is weak, with values mostly down in the teens, twenties, and thirties (24 to 150 combined energy), which just confirms there’s no guts in the water.

The only tiny window that looks slightly less terrible is the very start, on Tuesday the 8th of September. In the morning, we’ve got a 4ft swell from the east, but with a short 7-second period and a stiff 12 mph ENE cross-onshore wind, the surface is going to be choppy and messy. The water temperature is 84°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year—nice for floating, not so much for surfing. The afternoon is even smaller, dropping to 4ft and a period of just 5 seconds, with the same crummy wind. Total fail for any real wave riding.

Through Wednesday and Thursday, the swell drops further—3ft, then 2ft—and the wind stays onshore or cross-onshore, with periods barely breaking 6 seconds. By Friday the 11th, we’re down to 1ft. There’s a moment Friday morning with a light 3 mph cross-offshore wind that will clean things up, but there’s practically nothing to surf. Same story for the next week: 1ft to 1ft swells from the southeast, with some clean spells on the 15th, 16th, and 21st, but again, barely a ripple.

The swell direction is coming from the SE, and this break favours swell from the SSE, so even if there was a bit more size, it wouldn’t be wrapping in nicely. Short periods (5 to 9 seconds) across the board mean weak, crumbly waves that won’t hold up. On top of that, Apache Pier is a sandbar setup, which needs consistent, punchy swell to form a decent bank—and we’ve got none of that.

The wind is a constant headache. Moderate breezes from the east or south keep things onshore or cross-onshore most of the time, adding to the chop. Even when it goes light and clean, there’s just no swell to work with. For kite surfers, the consistent onshore wind might catch their interest, but for paddle surfing, this is a write-off.

In summary, do yourself a favour. Don’t bother paddling out at Apache Pier for the next 16 days. It’s flat, it’s choppy, and it’s not going to happen. Keep the board in the car and check back—it tends not to stay this poor forever. Forecasts can change.

Stay tuned, Rusty.

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