Apache Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

First thing you gotta know, the water temp is right about average for this time of year at 83°, feels like our typical warm bath. But honestly, for the next week and a half, it’s a real struggle. We're looking at a long, quiet stretch with hardly any surf worth paddling out for. From Friday the 11th all the way through to the 22nd, the wave heights barely tickle 3ft, and most of the time the wind is junk – cross-shore or cross-onshore with a chop that makes it feel like a washing machine. The combined swell energy is low, mostly in the teens and twenties (20-89), so there's just no push.

The only tiny glimmer in that first week is a brief moment on Sunday morning the 13th. We get a clean little 1ft wave from the SE with a 10-second period, and the wind is light cross-off. It’s not going to set the world on fire, but it’s the only time things look clean. Still, the energy is only 50, so it's for the loggers who just wanna get wet.

The real story doesn't start until later. We finally see a pulse of energy building around the 22nd and 23rd of September. By Wednesday the 23rd, the swell from the ESE picks up to about 3ft with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy climbs into the hundreds (107-126). That's moderate energy, finally something with a bit of shape. The wind on Wednesday the 23rd and Thursday the 24th turns favorable – cross-off and then clean offshore from the NW. This is the standout window. For Thursday the 24th, the wind goes glassy offshore, the waves hold at 3ft from the E with moderate energy (114), and conditions will be smooth. It's a short window, but for this forecast, that’s as good as it gets. The crowd factor at the Pier is listed as "often", so expect some company if you’re out there on that Thursday.

Don't bother with the rest of that last week; it gets messy again. The Saturday the 26th morning shows a glassy 2ft wave with a nice 10-second period (energy 90), making it another potential clean session for the mellow crew before the wind shifts.

So, to wrap it up: The first ten days are a write-off. The real, and only, window to make a plan is Wednesday the 23rd and especially Thursday the 24th of September. That’s your best bet for clean, lined-up walls. It's not a bomb, but it's all we've got.

Rusty.

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