Ocean Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Right off the bat, we’re looking at a pretty grim stretch for Ocean Beach Pier. The first few days are a write-off, with a moderate cross-onshore wind from the NW making a mess of things. The swell is there, but it’s ugly. We’ve got a 6ft SSW swell hitting on Monday the 7th, but with a 12 mph cross-on wind, it’s just choppy and poor. The combined swell energy is moderate (943). The water is a touch warmer than normal at 72°, which is about 4° above average for this time of year – noticeable but not crazy.

It’s not until Wednesday the 9th that we see a glimmer. The wind swings onshore, but it’s light from the WNW at 6-9 mph. The swell drops to 2ft from the SW, but the period stretches out to 16 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell. The energy is still weak (378), but the conditions are marginal. If you’re desperate, the afternoon might offer a couple of clean, slow rollers, but it’s a long paddle for not much.

Thursday the 10th is much the same, with a 3ft SW swell and a very long 16-second period. The wind is light from the SW, so it’s cross-on but manageable. The energy is weak (509). It’s a tricky call – the long period means the waves will have shape, but at a beach break like OB Pier, it might just close out straight. It’s a marginal session at best.

The entire second week is a battle of weak, small swells and persistent cross-onshore winds. From Friday the 11th right through to the 22nd, we’re looking at 2ft to 4ft swell, mostly from the SW or W. The period is often long (15-19 seconds), which is tantalizing, but the wind is always a problem. The combined energy stays in the weak to moderate range (252 to 639). There is no standout. The highest energy we see is on Friday the 18th with a 2ft SW swell and a 19-second period, hitting 639 energy, but it’s under a gentle cross-onshore wind, so it’s still choppy and marginal.

Honestly, for the entire 16-day window, there isn’t a single day I’d call good. The best you can hope for is a grovelly 2ft to 3ft wave with a light cross-on wind, and that’s being generous. The long period swells are a tease, but without clean offshore wind, they’re just messy lines. For the experienced surfer, you might find a close-out barrel on the bigger days, but for the average joe, it’s a frustrating wait. The setup is more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer given the persistent cross-shore wind and choppy conditions.

Keep an eye on the forecast, but I wouldn’t be holding my breath. This is a long, quiet spell.

Rusty.

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