Ocean Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for us over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, I’m scratching my head a bit. We’ve got a long stretch ahead, and for the first few days, it’s all pretty marginal. The swell is coming in from the SW, but the wind is sticking cross-onshore, which is just putting a bit of a crinkle on the surface. The water’s sitting at 73.8°F right now, which is a full 6.5°F warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a real standout, feels like a bathtub out there.

The pick of the early days is Monday, July 27th at Ocean Beach Pier. The swell is a modest 3.9ft from the SW, but it’s got some serious legs with an 18-second period, so it’s a proper groundswell. The combined energy is moderate (995). The wind is just a light breeze, so while it’s technically cross-onshore, the surface won’t be too messy. It’s not going to be a classic, but it’s the best we’ve got early on. The break is consistent and exposed, which helps, but those cross-onshore conditions mean it’s nothing to write home about.

After that, the surf just fades away. Tuesday the 28th has a touch more size at 4.3ft, but the wind picks up a notch and the energy drops, so it’s still just a so-so affair. By Wednesday, we’re back to similar small stuff. The whole week is a bit of a wash, really.

Then we hit a proper dry spell. From Thursday, July 31st all the way through to the second week of August, the swell drops away to nothing. Heights are down around 1.3ft to 2.6ft, and the energy numbers are in the low hundreds and even down to double digits. That’s weak, weak stuff. The wind is often onshore or cross-onshore, which just chops up what little wave there is. For a beach-and-reef setup like this, it’s just not worth paddling out for. On a few of those days, with the onshore wind and small, weak swell, it’s looking more like a kite surfing day than a paddle surfing day.

Around August 7th and 8th, there’s a tiny flicker of life. Swell height gets back up to 2.3ft to 2.6ft, and the period stretches out to 19 seconds, so there’s some energy (480 and 428). But the wind is still onshore or light cross-onshore, and the wave comment calls it poor. It’s a tease, not a session.

The best we can really say is that the Monday morning, July 27th session is the highlight, and even that’s a low bar. It’s a quiet, slow period for the area. Forecasts can change, and it tends not to stay this poor for long, but right now, we’re in a bit of a flat spell. Keep the board waxed, but don’t rush to the water.

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