Horace Caldwell Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get real about the next couple of weeks. The short version? It’s flat, and honestly, it looks like a write-off for most of the period. There’s no getting around it—this run is going to be a grind for anyone chasing waves.

We start off looking at Horace Caldwell Pier. The water is sitting at a warm 87.1°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year—nothing crazy, but you’ll notice it. As for the surf, well, the next several days are just bleak. We’re looking at ankle-biters in the 1.6ft to 2ft range, with periods of only 4 seconds. That’s not even windswell, that’s just chop. The energy in the water is weak, with combined swell energy values bouncing between 10 and 15. There’s nothing here. Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th are total losses. Light onshore breezes and no power. It’s a lake out there.

Thursday the 10th isn’t any better. Still around 1.6ft and periods of 4 seconds. The wind swings around a bit to a cross-onshore, so it’s not even clean—just messy and weak.

The first real bump, if you can call it that, arrives on Friday morning the 11th. The swell ticks up to 3.3ft, with the period stretching to 5 seconds, and the energy jumps to 56. That’s still weak, but at least it’s something. The problem is the wind: a solid 25 km/h onshore from the SSE, and the surf report doesn’t pull any punches—poor surf conditions. It’s going to be a wind-blown, choppy mess. Not worth paddling out.

Saturday the 12th sees a marginal improvement in size, up to 3.6ft, and the period gets to 6 seconds. The energy climbs a bit to 78, but that onshore wind is still howling at 25 km/h. It’s still poor, just a bit more of it. Same story on Sunday the 13th, with 3ft and 6-second periods, but the wind backs off slightly. Still, it’s all onshore slop. Not good.

Through the middle of the following week, from the 14th through the 16th, we’re stuck in a rut. The swell hangs around the 2.6ft to 3.3ft mark, periods of 5 to 6 seconds, and the energy stays in the weak-to-moderate range—anywhere from 44 to 77. But the wind is relentless out of the southeast at 20 km/h, and the conditions just stay poor. There’s always a ripple on the surface, and no real shape to the waves.

Now, a glimmer of something—and I mean just a glimmer—shows up on Thursday the 17th. The afternoon sees the swell push to 4.3ft, and the energy finally crosses into moderate territory at 130. The period is still short at 6 seconds, but it’s the most energy we’ve seen. The downside? It’s cross-onshore and choppy, so it’s going to be a bit of a grinder. For a beginner, this is getting to be a lot. For an experienced surfer, it’s still pretty junky, but it’s the only thing that has any pull to it.

Friday the 18th is a step back, down to 3.3ft with the energy dropping to 83. The wind lightens a touch in the morning, but it’s still cross-onshore. Meh.

Then we hit the real tease. On Saturday the 20th, the morning shows a spike in energy—134—which is solidly moderate. The swell is around 3.3ft from the ESE, with a period of 6 seconds. But the wind, a light breeze from the east, is cross-onshore. The report says it’s poor, but it’s the cleanest poor we’ve had in a while. Still, that 3.3ft isn’t going to blow anyone’s mind.

And then, the one spot of genuine hope. On the morning of Monday the 22nd, we finally get a northwest offshore wind. The swell is 3ft, with a 5-second period, and the report says it’s clean. The energy is still weak at 44, but offshore wind changes everything. This will be the most surfable it’s been all period. It’s small, but it will be glassy and have some shape to it. For a longboard or a funboard, this is your window. This is the standout, if you can even call it that. It’s the only time we get a proper clean face.

After that, it fades back into the muck. Wednesday the 23rd closes out the window with a return to 3.6ft, but the period

Read more