Huntington Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get into what's shaping up for the Huntington Beach stretch over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – we're looking at a pretty lackluster run. The water's sitting at a very unusual 76°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, but that's about the only unusual thing in a good way. We've got a solid 16-day window here, but the first few days are a write-off. From Wednesday afternoon through to Friday morning, it's all poor surf with weak, messy waves. The cross-onshore wind is just chopping everything up.

Thursday morning might have a tiny window with a 2 ft SW groundswell at 15 seconds, but the energy is weak at 249 and it's cross-on. Not one to race out for.

We finally see a glimmer of hope on Saturday morning, September 5th. The forecast shows a 3 ft SSW swell with a period of 16 seconds, and the energy is building to 711. The wind swings offshore from the SW, which will clean things right up. It's marginal due to tide questions, but that's the best we've seen so far. It'll be small and lined up, a good one for the beginners to get out.

Saturday afternoon holds similar size but the wind picks up a bit. Still the pick of the first week.

Moving into the second week, the long-range picture doesn't get much better. We get a bump on Monday morning, September 7th with 5 ft SSW swell, but the wind and wave quality just aren't there for consistent standouts. The energy through the middle of next week is moderate, topping out around 952 on Sunday morning, but it's always paired with an onshore or cross-onshore wind messing up the surface.

If I had to pick the one true standout, it's Saturday morning, September 5th at Huntington Pier. For the whole period, it's the cleanest window we get. The swell is a 3 ft SSW at 16 seconds, and with light offshore SW wind, it'll be glassy. Expect crowds, as this place is always a zoo when it gets clean. For a beginner, the size is perfect.

The rest of the run into the second week is a sad story of dropping swell and persistent onshore wind. Thursday morning, September 10th has a 3 ft SW groundswell at a nice 17 seconds, but the wind is on it. For the experts, keep an eye on Thursday afternoon, September 17th – there's a 1 ft SW swell with a very long 21-second period. It'll be tiny, but that long period could make for some weirdly fun, walled-up lines at the pier if you're on the right board.

Honestly, there’s a gap of several days with no real recommendations. Don't expect much until that Saturday morning window. Keep your eye on the forecasts, things can change, but right now it's a waiting game.

Rusty.

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