Apache Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright crew, Rusty here. Gotta lay it down straight – we’re staring at a flat spell for Apache Pier for the next 16 days. The finder shows no good surf options, so we’re in for a long stretch of small, choppy, or just plain messy conditions. The persistent onshore flow from the south and southeast is the main problem, keeping things blown out and the energy too weak to get fired up about.

Let’s break it down. The whole period starts with a tiny, weak S swell at 3ft and a period of 4 seconds on Tuesday, July 28th. That’s windswell, not groundswell, and with a cross-on breeze from the SSW at 15 mph, it’s going to be a choppy, bumpy mess. The combined energy is a weak 30. Not worth a paddle.

Wednesday the 29th morning sees a brief window of cleaner conditions with a light NW offshore wind at 6 mph, but the swell is still a pathetic 2ft at 6 seconds. The energy is only 24 – it’s knee-high and gutless. You’d be fighting for scraps. The afternoon goes back to light cross-shore wind, but the waves are still poor.

Thursday the 30th offers another clean morning with a light cross-offshore breeze, but again, the swell is 2ft and weak. The afternoon finally shows a little more life with a clean offshore wind from the NW, a small bump to 2ft, and the energy hits 49. The wave comment says “surfable but very ordinary” – that’s the best we get all week. That’s a one-star day for small, clean, but weak waves.

From Friday July 31st right through to Sunday August 2nd, the onshore winds from the SE kick back in, bumping up to 12-15 mph. The swell stays tiny, peaking at 4ft on Sunday afternoon but with a cross-on wind and a period of just 7 seconds, the energy of 139 is moderate but the quality is junk. Choppy, lumpy, and blown out.

The whole first week of August is a write-off. The wind stays onshore or cross-onshore, the swell is inconsistent and weak, with combined energy values mostly below 100. There’s a risk of thunderstorms on a few mornings – not exactly a surf call.

The second week is a little more promising, but still not good. On Wednesday August 12th, the morning shows a clean cross-offshore wind from the WSW at 9 mph. The swell is still only 3ft from the SSW with a 6-second period, but the energy climbs to 80. It’s the cleanest-looking session of the whole 16 days, but the waves are still very small and weak. The afternoon falls apart again with a fresh cross-on breeze at 18 mph.

Look, this is a tough run. The water is a warm 84°F, which is about normal for the time of year, but you don’t want to be sitting out there in the bathwater for these weak dribblers.

The only real standout, if you can call it that, is Thursday morning, July 30th, and Wednesday morning, August 12th. On those days, the wind goes light offshore or glassy, and the surf is clean but tiny. The best chance for a wave would be on Thursday July 30th afternoon with that 2ft clean swell, or the morning of August 12th. For a beginner, the small size is fine, but the lack of push and short period means it’ll be a long, slow session.

This is one of those stretches where the forecast looks better for a kiteboarder than a surfer, if the wind holds. For us paddle folk, it’s a board-in-the-bag kind of week. Stick with it – forecasts can change, and it tends not to stay this flat for long.

Rusty.

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