Horace Caldwell Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Well, folks, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at this forecast for the next couple of weeks, and I gotta be straight with you – it’s looking grim. There’s not a single good surf option in the whole 16-day window for this area. The data is pretty clear: every single session is tagged as “poor surf conditions,” and that’s the long and short of it.

The only break on the radar is Horace Caldwell Pier, a beach/pier setup that’s fairly consistent but a beginner-friendly spot. Right now, through Monday the 3rd into the week, we’ve got tiny, weak swell. Monday afternoon, we’re looking at a small 2 ft SE swell with a short period of 5 seconds – that’s basically windswell, not anything with real push. The wind is onshore from the SSE at 12 mph, making it choppy and messy. The combined wave energy is a feeble 27, which is barely a ripple. Water temperature is 84°, which is about normal for this time of year (anomaly of only 0.4°).

The whole week stays poor. Tuesday the 4th and Wednesday the 5th see a little bump to 3 ft-3 ft, but that’s still a short-period SE swell (5 seconds). The wind stays onshore or cross-onshore, mostly from the SE or S, 9-16 mph, keeping things choppy and uninviting. Energy levels struggle to break 50. Even Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th, with a slight increase to 3 ft, the period is still short (6 seconds), and the wind is onshore. You’ll see some glassy conditions on Saturday morning the 8th with a light ESE breeze, but the swell is only 3 ft and period 5 seconds – it’s a total flat spell with no power.

The second week offers no salvation. From the 10th through the 18th, the swell tries to creep up to 4 ft on the 13th and 14th, but it’s still a short-period SE swell (6 seconds) with onshore or cross-onshore winds of 9-16 mph, sometimes gusting to 19 mph. The energy maxes out at a weak 87, which is still well below what you’d want for a decent wave. The rip current potential is low, but the surf quality is just not there. On the 18th, the swell drops to 1 ft-2 ft, and while the period stretches to 8 seconds, the wind is still cross-onshore.

Honestly, for a beach/pier spot like this, a blank run is more normal for the area when the winds are persistently onshore and the swell is small and weak. It’s one of those stretches where you’re better off checking the kite forecast if you have a kite, because the onshore wind and small, weak swell might give you something to do, but for paddle surfing? There’s just nothing here. The forecasts can change, but as it stands, I’d say take a break for a couple of weeks.

Rusty.

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