Manhattan Beach and Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for our stretch of coast for the next couple of weeks. Let me tell you straight up, it’s a bit of a flat, frustrating stretch for most of it. We’ve got a lot of small, gutless swell and a lot of onshore wind to mess it up. You're gonna want to pick your moments, and they are few and far between.

The first week is a real write-off, to be honest. From Sunday the 2nd through to Wednesday the 6th, it’s just tiny knee-high dribble, mostly around 1ft, with a weak combined energy reading (often in the 90s to 100s). The mornings have that light cross-shore breeze, but the swell is just so weak and short-period (around 13-14 seconds) that it won't be doing anything for us at Manhattan Beach and Pier. Afternoons get worse with a cross-onshore breeze messing up the surface. There’s nothing to get excited about. The water’s a balmy 73°, which is over 7° warmer than we’d normally expect for this time of year, so that’s something, but it won't help the surf.

Thursday the 7th sees a bump in period to 19 seconds, and the energy jumps into the 200s, but the swell is still only 1ft. It’s a tease. Friday morning the 8th finally shows a glimmer. We’ve got a 2ft SSW swell with a light cross-offshore breeze, and the energy is still in the 200s. The call is for clean waves. This is the first real chance to get wet, but keep your expectations low. It’s still small, and the afternoon is going to get chopped up again.

The weekend follows the same pattern: small, mixed-up conditions with light winds in the mornings. Monday the 10th is “surfable but very ordinary.” The energy drops a bit, and the swell is still just 2ft. We are over a week out, but it looks like Tuesday the 11th turns right back into tiny, weak dribble.

Now, looking into the second week, things start to look more interesting, but it's still a waiting game. The energy readings start climbing late on Friday the 14th, and by Saturday the 15th, we’re looking at a stronger pulse, with combined energy hitting 371 (which is moderate) and 435 on the Friday afternoon. The swell is still only 3ft, but the period is hanging around 16-17 seconds, so there’s a bit more push there. The winds are still the problem, with afternoons onshore.

The standout in this whole period, and I mean the only one worth setting your alarm for, is the morning of Monday the 17th. That’s the one. We’ve got a 2ft SSW swell, but the wind goes light and offshore from the south (cross-off). The energy is a solid 213. It won’t be massive, but it’ll be clean, and that's what we're after after this dry spell. This looks like the best on offer. The period is 15 seconds, which is a decent groundswell. It’s a beach break, so with that longer period, it might be a little straight, but the cross-off wind will help hold the faces up.

So there you have it. A couple of small windows of clean surf, with the absolute best bet being late on the 17th. It’s been a lean run, but it looks like it’s trying to turn around.

Rusty.

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