Ocean Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s size up the next 16 days at Ocean Beach Pier. It’s a mixed bag, and I gotta be straight with you – for the first week and a half, it’s a real struggle. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor conditions before things finally start to show some life.

The first solid recommendation doesn’t show up until Saturday the 18th, and even then it’s just barely holding on. The whole week leading up to that is a write-off. Sunday the 12th through Friday the 17th? Forget it. It’s all cross-onshore or onshore wind, swells bouncing around between 2 ft and 4 ft, and the wave comment is “poor surf conditions” every single day. The water temps are sitting at 71° right now, which is much warmer than normal for the time of year – about 5° above average – so that’s a nice little bonus, but it doesn’t help the surf.

The energy is weak to moderate in that first week, with values between 265 and 445 (moderate at best), but the wind is just trashing everything. No standouts here.

Come Saturday the 18th, we finally get a pulse. The morning shows a 4 ft SSW swell with a 15-second period and light cross-onshore breeze out of the WNW. The combined energy jumps to 931 (moderate). The afternoon bumps up to 5 ft from the south with a 14-second period, and energy hits 1149 (moderate). The wave comment says “marginal” – not great, but it’s the first real chance. The wind is still cross-onshore, so it won’t be glassy, but it’s the best on offer in this whole stretch. Sunday the 19th is a step back – 3 ft SW swell with a strong 17-second period, but wind picks up to 12 mph, making it choppy again.

The real standout, if you can call it that, is further out. Friday the 24th sees a 7 ft SSW swell arrive with a 15-second period on the morning. The combined energy roars up to 1795 (strong). That’s a solid groundswell, but at 7 ft this is getting into expert territory for most. The wind is onshore from the WNW at 9 mph in the morning, shifting to cross-onshore in the afternoon. The period is long (15 seconds), so this will be a powerful, lined-up swell at this exposed beach-and-reef break. However, the wave comment is still “marginal” due to the onshore wind. It’s the most size and energy we see, but it’s not clean. Saturday the 25th still has 5 ft SSW swell in the morning with a 12-second period, energy at 774 (moderate), and light cross-onshore breeze – a better chance for intermediate surfers if the wind holds.

The crowds at Ocean Beach Pier are often there, so plan for company if you paddle out. This spot is exposed and picks up west swell best, but we’re getting a lot of SSW and S direction through the period, which isn’t its optimum.

Because we’ve got significant swell on the 24th (7 ft) and a beach-and-reef setup with choppy onshore winds, a lot of the middle period looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The first week is a total bust. The second week, while having more energy, is still compromised by wind. The best chance for a decent paddle is Saturday the 18th or Friday the 24th, but keep your expectations in check.

Rusty.

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