Huntington Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m lookin’ at the next couple of weeks at Huntington Pier in Southern California.

Right off the bat, I’ve gotta tell ya, it’s a pretty bleak stretch. The water is sitting at 73°, which is a solid 6° warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s a real standout, but unfortunately the waves aren’t keeping up with the temps. We’ve got a whole lot of marginal to poor surf conditions on the menu, with nothing really gettin’ my heart pumping.

For the next few days, from Thursday the 27th into the weekend, the swell is tiny, mostly around 2 ft to 3 ft, and the wind is onshore or cross-onshore. The combined wave energy is weak to moderate, with numbers like 333 to 518, and it’s just not gonna make for a fun session. The swells are coming in from the S and SSW, but the period is all over the place – some short junk, some overly long lines that’ll close out. It’s a messy picture.

Honestly, over the next week, the best you’ll get is a “marginal” call, and even then, it’s with a question mark for tide. Thursday morning the 27th had a 3 ft S swell at 12 seconds, but with onshore wind – it’s a maybe. The Saturday morning the 29th shows a 3 ft SSW swell at 17 seconds, energy at 688, but it’s still a marginal call. Nothin’ to write home about.

If I had to pick one true standout, it’s a long-range call, so take it with a grain of salt. Look at Thursday the 3rd of September. The morning shows a 4 ft SSW swell with a 14-second period. The combined energy hits 702 (moderate energy), and the wind is light and onshore from the SW. That’s the best-looking swell height and period combo in the whole window, and it might just offer some clean, lined-up waves for the early crew. The afternoon kicks up a bit to 5 ft, but the wind goes cross-onshore, so it’s a morning mission.

Everything else is a grind. There are long gaps of days with nothing but poor conditions. The second week is a snooze-fest of tiny, weak swell and unfavourable winds. This spot is ‘very consistent’, but when it’s small and messy, it stays small and messy. The angle is never quite right, either – the optimum swell direction is from the WSW, but the predominant directions are S and SSW, so it’s never fully lining up.

For the most part, this setup looks more interesting for a kite session than a paddle session if the wind picks up, because the waves are just too weak for a decent surf. Stay patient, folks. Forecasts can change, but right now, the 3rd of September is your best bet, and even that’s a gamble.

Rusty.

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