Ocean Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Ocean Beach Pier has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – it’s a flat spell with precious little to get excited about.

We’re looking at a long, quiet run that kicks off Thursday, July 2nd. The surf is tiny, with swell heights hanging around 2ft to 3ft from the SW. The energy is weak, with the combined swell energy reading only around 400 (400). To make matters worse, we’ve got a persistent cross-onshore or onshore breeze – mainly moderate to gentle from the WNW – leaving the water choppy and messy. "Poor surf conditions" is the word, and that pretty much sums up the first week, through the 4th of July weekend and right into the following week. Honestly, it’s a write-off.

Things start to shift a little toward the end of the first week. By Tuesday, July 7th, the wind finally looks like it’s turning clean offshore from the W, and we start seeing a bit of a bump in energy. On Tuesday morning, we’ve got 4ft of SW swell with a period around 18 seconds – that’s a proper long-period groundswell. The combined energy jumps up to 764, which is moderate. The wind is offshore at 9 mph. It’s labelled "marginal," but that’s the best we’ve seen in a while. The water temp is sitting at 68° with an anomaly of 3°, so it’s a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.

If there’s one standout in this whole 16-day window, it’s going to be Wednesday, July 8th. Wednesday morning is our best shot. We’ve got a clean 3ft of SW swell at 16 seconds. The wind is offshore from the WSW at a light 6 mph, which means glassy conditions. The combined energy is up at 816 – the highest in the whole forecast. That’s your session right there. It’s small, but clean and lined up.

After that, it fades quickly. By Friday, July 10th, we’re back into the doldrums with 3ft and a period dropping to 14-15 seconds, still SW, but the energy is bleeding out (around 400). The second week is a steady decline into tiny, weak surf. By July 13th we’re down to 3ft and 13-second periods, with a step up in wind that brings chop. The last few days from July 15th onward are barely ankle-snappers, with 1-2ft of swell, period around 12-16 seconds, but the energy is weak (under 300). We even get some rain showers on Friday, July 17th.

Crowds at Ocean Beach Pier are often an issue, but with waves this minimal, you might have the lineup to yourself just out of pity. Don’t hold your breath.

Bottom line: mark your calendar for Wednesday, July 8th. That’s the one day the stars almost align. The rest of the time, you’re better off tuning up your gear.

Rusty.

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