Huntington Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, it’s your local guy Rusty here, and I’ve gotta be straight with you – looking at the next couple of weeks for Huntington Pier… it’s a tough one. We’ve got a long stretch ahead with barely anything worth paddling out for, so let’s break it down.

Right now, the surf is basically flat to tiny. Thursday afternoon (3rd September) has some weak waist-high swell at 2ft from the SW, but it’s onshore and messy – honestly, not worth your time. The water is sitting at 75° which is way warmer than normal for this time of year – like, nearly 9° warmer. That’s super unusual, but unfortunately, it doesn’t make the waves any better.

Friday the 4th through to the start of the next week is a lot of the same story. Swell slowly builds, but the wind is almost always cross-onshore or onshore, keeping things choppy. Saturday the 5th afternoon sees waist-to-chest high 4ft from the S, but with a short period and moderate energy (1021), it’s not going to hold shape. By Sunday morning (6th September), we get to 5ft from the S with a long 14-second period, and light cross-onshore wind (3 mph). The energy bumps up to 1091, so there’s some power, but it’s still a bit of a messy combo. If you’re desperate, you could find some crumbly walls on the better tides, but it’s a gamble – the crowd factor at Huntington Pier means it’ll be busy for what’s on offer. For beginners, 5ft is getting towards the upper edge of comfortable, so maybe sit this one out.

Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th actually hold some of the best swell height we’ll see – 6ft from the SSW with a moderate period around 13-14 seconds. The energy is solid (over 1100), but here’s the kicker – the wind is almost always cross-onshore, and by the afternoons it picks up to 12 mph, making it choppy. The morning of Tuesday the 8th has the lightest wind (3 mph), so that might be the most rideable slot. This is really the only window that could be considered a standout, but even then, it’s far from perfect. Because the 6ft is over the 5ft mark, it’s not ideal for beginners.

After that, it all goes downhill quickly. From Wednesday the 9th onwards, the swell drops steadily. By the 10th, we’re back to 3ft from the SW, and the wind stays cross-onshore or onshore. Between the 9th and the 18th, there are days and days of sub-4ft surf with poor or marginal conditions. You’ll see a spike in period on the 17th (22 seconds) but only 1-2ft of height – that’s a long-period groundswell but hardly any push. The energy is weak (293-452), so it’s more like a lake than the ocean.

We’ve got a massive gap of no real recommendations from around the 9th right through to the 18th – that’s over a week of junk surf. For a spot like Huntington Pier, which is usually exposed and consistent, this kind of blank run is a bit unusual, but it happens.

Bottom line: your best chance, and I mean your *only* real chance for anything half-decent, is Tuesday morning, 8th September. Aim for that 6ft from the SSW with very light wind. It’s not going to be glassy perfection, but it’s the pick of a very average bunch. For the rest… maybe dust off the longboard or just wait it out.

Rusty.

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