Apache Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it for Apache Pier.

Right off the bat, I’ve got to be honest with you – this outlook is a tough one. We’re looking at a 16-day window and there’s just nothing doing. The whole period is a flat, messy stretch of poor surf conditions. The first sign of any rideable swell doesn’t even show up until the 10th of September, and even then, it’s nothing to write home about.

The water temp is sitting around 82°, which is bang on average for this time of year. No surprises there.

From now through the end of August, we’re seeing tiny swell – 1ft to 1ft from the SE, with short periods of 8 seconds or less. The wind is a constant problem, blowing cross-on or onshore, making it choppy and bumpy. The combined energy is weak, barely scraping into the double digits (21 to 25). It’s the kind of day you’d be better off on a paddleboard or just enjoying the beach.

September kicks off the same way. The 1st through the 3rd is all super small, 1ft to 2ft, with short-period SE windswell. The energy is pitiful (23 to 89). Winds are light but still cross-on, ruining any chance of a clean face. It’s frustrating.

The 4th and 5th of September see a slight bump in size, up to 3ft, but the period drops to a terrible 4 to 5 seconds. That’s just wind chop, and the wind is picking up to 15 mph from the SSW, making it properly choppy. The combined energy is still low (31 to 36). This is kite-surfing weather, not surf weather.

The 6th of September has a small 3ft swell from the S, but again, the period is a dire 5 seconds. The combined energy hits 100, which is at the very bottom of moderate, but it’s still messy and wind-affected. The 7th through the 9th is more of the same – tiny, short-period slop with onshore winds.

Finally, on the 10th of September, we get a little glimmer. The swell is 3ft from the SSW with a 6-second period, and the combined energy hits 109. The winds are light and variable, going from cross to onshore. It’s still not great, but it’s the best we’ve got. The morning looks a bit cleaner with a light cross-shore breeze. For a beginner spot like Apache Pier, this might be the only session worth considering, but it’s a real stretch.

From the 11th of September onward, it’s back to the same story: tiny 1ft to 3ft, short-period slop, and winds that are either cross-on or fresh onshore, hitting 18 mph on the 14th. The energy is weak (20 to 35). The 14th is a write-off with fresh breezes making it lumpy and miserable.

The standout: There isn’t one. If I had to pick the least-bad moment, it’s the morning of the 10th of September, with a 3ft SSW swell, a 6-second period, light cross-shore ENE wind at 6 mph, and combined energy of 109. It’s not clean, but it’s the only time the wind isn’t completely ruining things. Expect crowds here – it’s often busy, and with nothing else on offer, everyone will be scratching for the same scraps.

Overall, this is a blank run. For Apache Pier, it’s not unusual to have stretches like this. The forecasts can change, but right now, I wouldn’t be checking the cams.

Rusty.

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