Manhattan Beach and Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s look at what’s shaping up for the next couple of weeks at Manhattan Beach and Pier.

The overall pattern is pretty quiet to start. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak surf with periods that are all over the place, but mostly workable only when the wind plays nice. The first real standout isn’t until about July 18th, so there’s a solid gap of nearly a week and a half of “meh” conditions before we see something worth getting excited about.

Right now, through the 9th and into the 10th, we’re looking at knee-high, 3 ft to 3 ft swell from the SSW, with a very long period around 15 to 16 seconds. That’s a groundswell, but the combined energy is weak (around 347 at best) and the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s messy. Thursday morning the 9th is a write-off. Friday the 10th and Saturday the 11th mornings see a little cross-off breeze cleaning things up, so you could get a few weak, clean lines, but it’s still small. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual.

From Sunday the 12th through to the 17th, we’re in a real slump. Swell drops to 1 ft to 2 ft, and most of the time the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, making it choppy and pretty poor. There’s a few mornings with clean cross-off wind, like the 16th and 17th, but the waves are barely there. Honestly, it’s a kite surfer’s setup more than a paddle surfer’s for that stretch.

Then, bam. Saturday morning July 18th is the real standout. The wind goes glassy, with a light breeze from the west at 3 mph, and we get a 2 ft SSE swell with a 17-second period. The combined energy jumps to 551 (moderate), and the forecast is for very good surf conditions. That’s a clean, long-period groundswell from the south, and with glassy conditions, it’ll be smooth and beautiful. Perfect for a point break or reef, but at a beach break like Manhattan, that long period might make it a bit walled. Still, this is the best on offer.

Sunday morning the 19th is also strong: a 4 ft S swell with a 14-second period, clean cross-off wind, and high energy (629). That’s a solid, fun-sized morning. Then Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st mornings have small, clean waves again, but nothing like the weekend.

So, bottom line: don’t bother paddling out until the 18th. The 18th morning is your best bet by far, and the 19th morning is a good backup. After that, it fades again.

Rusty.

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