Apache Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer. To be honest, the next 16 days look pretty flat for the most part. We’re staring down a long stretch of small, messy windswell, and even the few moments that might be surfable are nothing to write home about. There’s a gap of several days with no real recommendations, followed by a few flickers of hope late in the second week, but nothing that’s going to get the heart racing.

Apache Pier is our only spot with any data, and it’s a tough one. The water is sitting at a warm 85°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. The first few days are a write-off: Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st see tiny swell around 2 ft to 5 ft coming from the south, but the wind is all over the place – cross-shore and cross-onshore, creating choppy, poor conditions. The combined swell energy is low, barely hitting 27 to 125 (weak to moderate at best), and the period is a short, weak 5 to 6 seconds. It’s sloppy, it’s messy, and I wouldn’t bother paddling out.

Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd are more of the same: small south swell (3 ft to 5 ft) with a short period, and the wind stays cross or cross-onshore. The water is warm, but the surf is just a lumpy mess. Thursday morning the 23rd is the first time we see a “surfable” tag, with a 3 ft south swell and a light WSW cross-off breeze making things clean. The energy is weak (81). It’s not great, but it’s the best we’ve seen so far. The rest of that day and into Friday the 24th, it’s back to poor conditions.

Then we hit a big gap. From Saturday the 25th of July right through to the start of August, the swell drops further. Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th offer tiny 2 ft to 3 ft waves from the southeast, with a short period. Sunday morning the 26th does have glassy conditions – a light southwesterly breeze – and the water is clean, but with only 3 ft of weak swell (energy 75), it’s barely a ripple. Monday the 27th has a 2 ft south swell with a clean cross-off wind, but it’s so small it’s not worth a mention.

The only real standout in this whole 16-day stretch comes late in the second week. On Tuesday the 28th of July, we see a bump in the swell: a 6 ft south-southwest swell rolling in, with a period of 6 seconds. The wind is light and cross-shore, and the combined energy hits 259 (moderate). It’s tagged as “marginal,” but this is the biggest swell on offer. That’s a solid, punchy wave for a pier, but the short period (6 seconds) means it’ll be a bit sectiony and not as clean as a longer period groundswell. Still, for a beginner-friendly spot like Apache Pier, and with the water warm, this is the best we’ve got. The crowds are often there, so expect company.

Wednesday the 29th of July is the next best option: a 5 ft swell from the south-southwest, 8-second period, with a light easterly breeze. The energy is high (352), meaning there’s grunt in the water. But the wind is cross-shore, and the conditions are a bit messy. For an experienced surfer, it’s worth a look, but for beginners, that 5 ft might be a bit punchy.

After that, the surf fades fast. Thursday the 30th through to Tuesday the 4th of August sees tiny, weak swell (0.3 ft to 2 ft) with poor winds and almost no energy. It’s a flat spell, plain and simple. No standouts, no hope.

So, if you’re looking for a wave, the only real window is Tuesday the 28th of July into Wednesday the 29th. The 6 ft swell on the 28th is the biggest and most energetic, but the short period keeps it from being a classic. The 5 ft on the 29th has more period and energy, but the wind is a bit messy. Pick your poison. Otherwise, it’s a long, flat wait.

Rusty.

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