Ocean Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s coming down the line for Ocean Beach Pier.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty flat and frustrating for the most part. The combined energy of all swells directed here is mostly weak to moderate, with figures in the low hundreds to mid hundreds, which just isn’t packing the punch we want. We’ve got a long stretch of poor to marginal conditions, with a lot of cross-onshore winds messing up the surface. The water is sitting at 75°, which is a whopping 6° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s really unusual, feels more like a warm bath than a typical September.

The first real chance to get wet that’s worth mentioning is on Sunday, September 6th, but even that’s a “marginal” call. The swell bumps up to 6ft from the SSW, with a period of 14 seconds. That’s moderate energy (1295 in the morning, 1448 in the afternoon), but the wind is all cross-onshore from the NNW, which will keep it choppy. It’s not a standout, but it’s the biggest pulse we see. The size is getting into that intermediate-to-expert zone, so beginners should sit this one out.

The only other pulse that might get you thinking is Monday, September 7th, with similar 6ft SSW swell, but again, that cross-onshore wind from the NW (9 mph) is going to keep it from being clean. The energy is still strong (1156 to 1137), but the quality is just not there.

After the 7th, it’s a long, slow slide into smaller and weaker surf. The swell drops below 3ft by the 9th and stays weak for over a week, with energy dipping into the 200s. There’s a tiny flicker on Wednesday, September 16th with a 3ft SW swell at 16 seconds, but it’s still cross-onshore and marginal. By Thursday, September 17th, we get a 2ft swell with a very long 21-second period, but that’s a tiny wave with a lot of wait between sets – not really worth the paddle.

Honestly, for a consistent, exposed spot like Ocean Beach Pier, this is a really poor run. If you’re desperate, the Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th are your best bets, but don’t expect anything clean. The wind is just not playing ball. It’s the kind of setup that might be more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle guys.

Stay patient, keep an eye on the charts, and maybe wax the board for the 6th, but keep your expectations low.

Rusty.

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