Ocean Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

To be honest, it’s a pretty quiet stretch coming up. We’ve got a bit of swell on the way, but it’s nothing to get the heart racing. The water’s sitting at a very unusual 74°, which is a good 7° warmer than what we’d normally expect for this time of year – feels more like a bath than the Pacific.

The first bit of action is on Thursday the 23rd of July. Ocean Beach Pier is showing a 4ft swell from the SSW, with a 13-second period. The combined energy is moderate at 516. It’s onshore with a light breeze, so it’ll be a bit bumpy. Nothing brilliant, just something to get a suit on for.

Friday the 24th sees the swell drop off to 2ft, but the period jumps right up to 24 seconds. That’s a very long period groundswell, but at that size it’s barely going to show. The energy is still moderate (939), but it’ll be a cross-onshore breeze, so it’ll be a bit of a messy dribbler.

Through the weekend and into the start of next week, we’re stuck in a bit of a lull. Swell sizes hang around the 3ft to 4ft mark, with periods gradually dropping from 21 seconds down to 16 seconds. The wind stays light and cross-onshore for most of it, so you’ll get some small, ripply waves. The combined energy fluctuates, but it’s all moderate. Nothing to write home about.

The best of a pretty average bunch looks like Tuesday the 28th of July. The morning shows a 4ft swell from the SW, with a 17-second period, and a moderate-to-strong combined energy of 1014. The wind is a light cross-onshore, so it’ll be a little bumpy, but it’s the most size and push we’ll see. It’s still just a marginal call, though.

After that, the swell tries to build a little towards the end of July and into the 1st of August. On Friday the 31st, we’ve got a 4ft S swell with a 15-second period, and on Saturday the 1st of August, it’s a 5ft SSW swell with a 12-second period. The wind is still cross-onshore, and it’s still looking marginal. A 5ft swell with a short period like that is going to be a bit of a close-out mess.

Then we hit a real dry patch. From Sunday the 2nd of August right through to Friday the 7th of August, the waves drop right off. Swell sizes are between 1ft and 3ft, with periods mostly below 16 seconds. The wind also gets a bit stronger, with some fresh cross-shore breezes. The combined energy drops to weak levels, under 250. For a few of these days, it’s genuinely poor surf conditions with no chance of a decent wave. Usually, it’s better than this, but forecasts can change.

So, if you’re desperate, the best bet is the Tuesday morning session on the 28th of July at Ocean Beach Pier for the biggest swell and longest period of the run. Otherwise, it’s a board-waxing and story-telling kind of fortnight.

Rusty

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