Manhattan Beach and Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, photo finish for you. Let’s get this out there. To be straight with you, the next couple of weeks are looking pretty weak for our stretch of coast. This is one of those lulls where you’ve gotta be patient and pick your moments. We’re looking at a lot of small, short-period swell bumping against a cross-onshore breeze, which means a lot of crumbly, bumpy waves. Forget about getting anything epic for a while.

The first real window to even think about paddling out is Thursday, August 20th. The morning shows a little more promise with some clean conditions as a light cross-offshore breeze sets up. We’re only talking about 2ft of southwest swell with a period around 14 seconds, so it’ll be small, but it will be the cleanest we’ve seen. After that, it drops right back off again into the weekend and the following week. From the 21st through the 24th, it’s mostly poor surf with light cross-shore junk and tiny waves. You’re better off doing something else.

There’s another little blip of hope on the morning of Tuesday, August 25th. Again, we’re looking at a small 2ft southwest swell, but that cross-offshore breeze is back, giving us some cleaner conditions. It’s more of the same size, but if you're jonesing, it’s an option. The energy is weak, so keep your expectations in check.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The models are showing a proper pulse of southwest energy arriving late in the window, around Thursday, August 28th. We’re talking about a big jump in size, with the swell coming up to 5ft. The energy is really up there, which is a serious step up from what we’ve seen. The direction is solidly from the southwest. The catch is the wind is still cross-onshore, which will chop it up some, and the period is a bit shorter, around 13-14 seconds. It won't be perfect, but it will be the biggest, most powerful surf of the whole forecast. This is really one for the more experienced crew. At 5ft, it’s getting too big for beginners, but it's still manageable for intermediates. This is the standout, the one with the most grunt. Remember, it's over a week out, so this is a promising outlook, not a guarantee. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

So, in short: it’s mostly flat and messy for the next stretch, with a couple of clean but tiny windows around the 20th and 25th. But the real swell, the one that'll get your heart rate up, is due on the 28th. It’s a long way out, but it’s something to look forward to.

Rusty.

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