Ocean Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. The 16-day window for Ocean Beach Pier is a pretty tough one.

We kick things off with some marginal surf right from the jump. Monday, July 27th, we’ve got a SW groundswell rolling in at 4ft (995 combined energy) with a solid 18-second period. That’s a long-period swell, so it’s got that energy, but the rip is likely to be a bit of a chore. The wind is a cross-onshore from the SSW at 9 mph, which is going to put a bit of chop on it. Not great, but it’s the best we’ve got for the first few days. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing wild.

Tuesday the 28th is a repeat performance – similar size, similar long-period swell, but with that same cross-onshore breeze. It’s still a “marginal” call. Wednesday and Thursday are also in the same boat, with the swell holding around 4ft to 5ft, but the wind stays cross-onshore. On Thursday, the wind actually swings to a light onshore from the W, which is a bit cleaner, but the swell is dropping a touch.

By Friday, July 31st, the swell is still around 5ft (925 combined energy) but the period is dropping to 13 seconds. The wind is light onshore from the WNW, so it’s not blowing it out, but the energy is fading. This is still a “marginal” situation.

Then we hit a real lull. From Saturday, August 1st, through to the end of the second week, it’s just poor surf. The swell drops to under 3ft, and by the 2nd of August, it’s down to 2ft with a moderate cross-onshore wind. The combined energy plummets from 530 down to 130-300, which is weak. The period on the 4th of August is a long 15 seconds, but for a 2ft wave, that’s just a long wait for a tiny bump. The wind is light, but there’s just nothing to work with.

There’s a tiny flicker of life on the 7th of August with a 2ft, 19-second period SSW swell (368 combined energy), but it’s still a “marginal” call with light cross-onshore wind. Then it’s back to poor conditions for the rest of the run to the 11th of August.

Honestly, for this 16-day stretch, there are no true standouts. The best window is the first few days if you’re desperate for a paddle, but the wind is never fully clean. The setup is a beach and reef, so with the long-period swells and the onshore/cross-onshore winds, it’s going to be choppy and a bit of a mess. For the experienced crew, the early morning windows on Saturday, August 1st, with 4ft and a neutral wind, might be worth a look, but it’s far from firing. Given the exposed nature of the break, keep an eye out for crowds, as it’s often packed.

Rusty.

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