Horace Caldwell Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, short-period swell and mostly onshore or cross-onshore breezes. It’s going to be a battle just to catch a knee-high slop, let alone a real wave. Don’t get your hopes up for any kind of hero session. This is a time to work on your pop-up or maybe just enjoy the beach.

We’re looking at a real dry spell here. From the start of the forecast right through to the end of the month, there isn’t a single day that offers anything close to a decent wave. The swell stays puny, pretty much always under 3ft and often dropping to 2ft or 2ft. The period is stuck down at 4 to 6 seconds, which is just pure wind chop and doesn’t have any push or shape to it. There’s no groundswell on the horizon at all.

For our first look, let’s talk about Horace Caldwell Pier. The water temp is sitting at 85°, with a 1° anomaly, so it’s pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year – warm, but nothing crazy.

The first few days, starting around the 15th, are just poor. We’ve got 3ft to 3ft of wind swell with periods of only 6 seconds. The wind is mostly from the SE or ESE, which is directly onshore. This is not an invitation to surf. It’s choppy, it’s messy, and it’s about as fun as getting sand in your wetsuit. On the 16th and 17th, the wind eases a little, but the swell drops even more. It’s not worth the drive.

We have a solid 14-day stretch here where there is just nothing to recommend. The wave energy is weak, mostly in the low double digits, with a few afternoons pushing into the 40s and 50s, but it’s all just local wind slop. Looking at the 19th and 20th, the wind picks up to 18-19 mph, which will just add more chop to the mix. Even though the swell bumps to a max of 3ft, that short period and onshore wind make it a washing machine.

Things don’t improve as we move into the last week of August. The swell stays in that 2ft to 3ft range with periods of 5 seconds. The wind is a constant onshore breeze from the SE or SSE. There’s a moment on the morning of the 25th where the wind drops to 6 mph, but the swell is still a pathetic 2ft with a 5-second period. It might be the cleanest you'll see it, but there's nothing to ride.

The 27th and 28th are more of the same. Tiny swell, weak energy. The morning of the 27th has a slight air, but it's for naught with 2ft of nothing. The whole stretch is a write-off. There’s a brief uptick on the morning of the 29th to 2ft, but it's still just onshore slop.

Honestly, if you’re looking to get wet, you might want to check if the wind is good for a kite. With these onshore breezes, a beach setup like the pier area is going to be a lot more fun for kitesurfing than for paddling.

It’s a rare blank stretch, but it happens. The good news is, it can’t stay this flat forever. Forecasts change, and a bump of real swell could show up. Keep an eye on the charts, but for now, maybe take a week off.

This is Rusty, signing off. It’s a good week to be a golfer.

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