JP Luby Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you about the next couple of weeks. It’s looking flat and pretty sad out there for a while, so don’t go getting your hopes up. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing much on the cards, so maybe dust off the fishing rod or catch up on some sleep.

The first few days are basically a write-off. The swell’s tiny, the periods are short and weak, and the wind is mostly on it or cross-onshore, chopping up whatever slop is there. Water temp is sitting at 86°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least it’ll be a warm paddle for nothing.

Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th are non-starters, with waves barely reaching 2ft and east/southeast winds making a mess of things. We’re looking at weak energy readings in the low teens, just nothing to work with. The following days up to the weekend bump up slightly, but the quality is still poor. The swell direction is coming from the SSE, which is cross/on for our setup at JP Luby Pier, and those short 4-5 second periods mean no push, no shape, just bump.

The swell does try to pick up a little around the 12th and 13th, getting to about 4ft, but the period is still stuck down at 5-6 seconds, and the onshores are howling at 15-18 mph. It’s going to be lumpy, messy, and frankly, not worth the drive. The energy readings jump up a bit into the 60s and 70s, but that’s just chop, not real surf.

We go through a whole run of days where the forecast is just more of the same – poor conditions, cross-onshore winds, weak swell. It’s not until Saturday the 19th that we get a little glimmer of hope. The morning shows a light north wind turning things cross-offshore, giving us a clean look at the wave face. Swell is still small, around 3ft from the ESE with a 6-second period, but that clean surface makes a huge difference for the beach/pier setup. It’s not a standout by any means, but it’s the first time the ocean won’t look like a washing machine.

After that, we roll into the final days of the forecast window. The swell size stays modest, around 4ft, but those periods are still short. The wind looks a bit more manageable, but it’s mostly onshore again. There’s no real punch to anything, just a lot of whitewater and not much else.

Honestly, if you're a beginner, the small stuff and onshores won't do you any favors. And if you're a kitesurfer, the stronger afternoon winds and the bumpy conditions might be more your game than paddling out. For the rest of us, this is a time to be patient. Forecasts can change, and a blank run like this tends not to last forever. But right now, there’s just no good surf on offer.

Stay tuned, and I’ll catch you next time. This is Rusty, signing off.

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