Ocean Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s on offer around Ocean Beach Pier.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next two weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle session. There’s a long stretch of small, weak swell mixed with onshore and cross-onshore winds that’s going to keep things messy. We’re looking at a solid gap of zero-quality surf from the start all the way through until around the 7th of August, and even then it’s only marginal. The water temp is sitting at 75°, which is a massive 8° warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s very unusual, so you’ll be sweating in your wetsuit, if you even bother wearing one.

The first real glimmer of anything happens on Friday morning, 7th of August. There’s a clean 2ft swell from the SSW with a very long period of 19 seconds, and the combined swell energy is moderate at 388. This is a proper groundswell, but it’s tiny. The wind is light and cross-on from the SW, so it’s not clean, but there’s a chance you’ll find a few peelers on the right tide. The wave comment says “marginal,” so don’t get your hopes up. This is not a standout.

The next uptick comes around Friday the 14th of August. The swell bumps up to 3ft from the SW, with a period of 18–19 seconds and combined energy jumping to 580–633 (moderate to strong). But here’s the kicker – the wind is onshore or cross-on from the W and WNW, with speeds up to 12 mph on the Friday afternoon. That’s going to chop it up. The morning of the 14th is the best of this little window, with a light breeze and a marginal rating. Still, 3ft of long-period groundswell at a beach and reef break like Ocean Beach Pier is going to be a bit straight and unruly. It’s a better setup for the guys on kites, to be honest.

Saturday the 15th of August sees the swell nudge up to 4ft from the SW, with a period of 16 seconds and combined energy of 602. Again, the wind is cross-on from the WNW at 9 mph, and the morning is rated marginal. It’s a small step up in size, but the wind is still cutting it up. The period is moderate, so the sets will have a bit more push, but the cross-onshore breeze is going to leave it bumpy. This is about as good as it gets, and even then, it’s not a day I’d be rushing to the water for.

The last flicker is on Wednesday the 19th of August, when the swell drops to 2ft from the SW, period 15 seconds, but the wind is light and cross-on from the NW. Combined energy is moderate at 434. The comment says “marginal.” It’s a poor finish.

Overall, there’s no standout day here. The best on offer is the morning of Friday the 14th of August, with 3ft of SW groundswell, a long period, and light wind – but it’s still marginal. For a more consistent, clean ride, you’d need a miracle. The truth is, this stretch looks more appealing for the kite crowd than for paddle surfing. The swell is small, the wind is mostly wrong, and the long periods mean the waves will be tough to ride at a beach break. I’d be checking the forecast again, because it tends not to stay this poor for long.

Rusty.

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