Apache Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m looking at the whole 16-day window for Apache Pier, and I gotta be straight with you—it’s a tough stretch. The swell is tiny, mostly under 3 feet, and the wind is often cross or onshore, messing up what little wave energy there is. There’s no standout day where everything clicks, so you’re really scraping for a session.

The water temperature at Apache Pier is sitting at 85°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year—nothing crazy, but you’ll notice it’s a bit bath-like.

Let’s start from the beginning. Wednesday the 19th through Friday the 21st: nothing doing. The swell is 1-1 feet from the SE, energy is weak (between 11 and 33), and the wind is cross-on or onshore. It’s basically flat or tiny and messy.

Saturday the 22nd morning has a risk of thunderstorms, but the wind goes glassy—that’s rare and worth a mention. The swell is still tiny at 1 feet from the SSE, period a short 5 seconds, with energy at 24. It’s poor surf conditions but glassy, so if you’re desperate for a splash, you might find a ripple. Saturday afternoon gets a little better: swell bumps to 2 feet from the S, still short period, energy up to 40, and glassy again. The comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions”—that’s as good as it gets this week. But honestly, it’s not a session to write home about.

Sunday the 23rd morning is glassy but only 2 feet, and the afternoon turns cross-on and choppy. Monday the 24th through Tuesday the 27th is more of the same—tiny swell, cross or onshore wind, and poor conditions. The swell energy stays low, between 24 and 50.

Wednesday the 26th and into Thursday the 27th: the wind picks up hard, with Wednesday afternoon seeing 35 km/h from the SSW, cross-on, and lumpy. That’s not surfable for paddle—more of a kiteboarding kind of setup if you’re into that.

Friday the 28th morning and afternoon finally show a little promise: offshore wind from the NNW and NW, light breeze, clean conditions. The swell is still only 1 feet from the SE, period 9 seconds, but energy climbs to 56-59. The comment calls it “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” For a small-wave board or a longboard, you might get a few fun ones if the wind holds.

Saturday the 29th through Monday the 31st: the swell stays tiny, mostly 1-2 feet, and the wind turns cross or onshore again. Not great.

Then we jump into September. Tuesday the 1st sees a longer period swell creep in—13 seconds from the SE, but height is only 1-1 feet. Energy is 49-86, still weak. The wind is cross or cross-on, so not clean. Wednesday the 2nd afternoon has a bit more energy at 119 (moderate), with 2 feet from the SE at 11 seconds, but it’s cross-on and choppy. Thursday the 3rd is similar, with cross winds and tiny swell.

The best I can honestly pick out of this whole run is Friday the 28th, with offshore winds from the NNW-NW, clean conditions, and a little SE swell at 1 feet, 9 seconds. It’s not big, it’s not powerful, but it’s the only window where the wind lines up. For a longboard or a foamie, you might catch a few waist-high waves. Crowds are possible—Apache Pier can get busy, especially on a Friday with decent conditions.

Other than that, it’s a long wait for anything worthwhile. The first week is basically a write-off, with a gap of no real surf from the 19th through the 27th, and only a fleeting chance on the 22nd afternoon if you’re desperate. The second week stays small and messy, with no true standout.

So that’s the score. Keep your expectations low, and if you’re itching for a paddle, Friday the 28th morning is your best bet.

Rusty

Read more