Imperial Pier (North and South) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Yo, what’s up? Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cooking at Imperial Pier (North and South) for the next couple of weeks. Straight up, it’s a bit of a mixed bag with some fun, clean windows, but nothing that’s gonna have you calling in sick for a week straight.

The overall pattern shows a solid pulse of swell kicking off this Saturday, September 5th, but the wind is gonna be a bit of a nuisance early on. We’ve got a moderate swell, with combined wave energy sitting at 1425, and a groundswell pushing in from the south with a period of 14 seconds. That longer period means it’ll have some push and shape, but it’s also breaking a bit straight on the beach setup here. Still, for the morning, with a light breeze, it’s rideable. The swell is about 5 ft. The afternoon sees the wind shift onshore and pick up, making it choppy, so hit it early. The water temp is pretty average for this time of year, nothing wild to report.

Sunday the 6th gets a bit more juice, with swell heights around 7 ft, but the wind is stronger and cross-onshore, making things properly choppy. The combined energy jumps to 2045, which is strong, but the quality takes a big hit. This one’s for the experienced crew on a shortboard; the conditions are gonna be battle mode, and it’s likely too much for beginners. The crowds could be around, so maybe have a plan B.

Monday the 7th to Tuesday the 8th sees the swell easing a bit, hanging around 6 ft, but it’s still cross-onshore and choppy. The energy drops from 1183 to 673, so it’s losing steam. Not great, not terrible, but you’d be scratching for a clean one.

We hit a bit of a lull from Wednesday the 9th through to Thursday the 17th. The swell drops off under 3 ft, and the combined energy is low—down to 221 on the 13th. It’s pretty flat and weak. The wind does go light and even clean offshore on a few of those days, like Wednesday afternoon the 9th and Thursday the 10th, but the swell is just too small to get excited about. You’re looking at tiny, weak waves.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. On Friday, September 18th, we start to see a new pulse, and by Saturday the 19th, it’s game on. The swell jumps to 6 ft from the WNW, with combined energy at 1205. The wind is light and offshore from the west, which will make for glassy conditions. This is the standout window. The direction is a bit off the optimum, but with that offshore wind and solid 10-second period, it’s going to be the best session on offer. It’s a bit much for a total beginner, but solid for everyone else. The afternoon on the 19th holds at 6 ft with clean offshore wind.

Then on Sunday the 20th, the wind goes a little cross-onshore, and the swell starts to ease. Still good, but Saturday the 19th is your best bet.

So, bottom line: This Saturday morning the 5th is okay, but the real standout is Saturday, September 19th. Get on it.

Rusty.

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