Ocean Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what the next couple of weeks are shaping up like for Ocean Beach Pier.

Honestly, the next week and a half is a bit of a grind. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and junky surf with a lot of cross-shore and onshore wind messing things up. The energy is just not there for the most part. Hold tight, because the real action doesn’t kick in until the weekend of the 18th and 19th. That’s where the standout window is.

Right now, starting Thursday the 9th, we’ve got a 3ft, 16-second groundswell from the SW, but it’s coming in with a cross-shore breeze and a combined energy reading of 620 (moderate). It’s looking marginal and a bit lumpy. That same theme carries through Friday, Saturday, and Sunday – small 3ft swell, periods dropping from 15 to 14 seconds, and winds staying cross or cross-on. The energy drops into the 300s and 400s. Not worth paddling out for.

Monday the 13th is even worse – onshore wind and the swell drops to 2ft. The combined energy falls to 258 (weak). Tuesday the 14th morning is a tease: glassy conditions with a 2ft SSW swell and a combined energy of 252 (weak). You might get a little knee-high ripple, but it’s tiny. The water temp is about average for this time of year.

Wednesday through Friday (the 15th to 17th) stay small and messy. Most of it is in the 1ft to 4ft range with onshore or cross-onshore wind. The combined energy bounces between 199 and 382 (weak). Not much to write home about.

Now, here’s the good news. Saturday the 18th morning, we see a pulse of 4ft swell from the S at 16 seconds, with a combined energy of 1036 (strong). The wind is a cross-onshore from the NW at 15 km/h (9 mph), so it’ll be a little textured, but that’s a solid long-period groundswell. For Ocean Beach Pier, a long-period south swell like that can be a bit tricky – it can close out on the beach breaks – but if the tide is right, there will be some fun, punchy waves. The afternoon jumps to 6ft SSW at 17 seconds, with a combined energy of 1701 (very strong). That’s serious size. Over 5ft, so it’s not for beginners, and by 6ft with that much energy, it’s a paddling workout. This is the standout of the whole forecast.

Sunday the 19th still has some juice, with 5ft from the S in the morning (combined energy 1138 – strong), but the wind is a cross-onshore from the WSW. The afternoon drops to 4ft. It’s still worth a look, but Saturday is the big day.

The following week (20th to 24th) settles back down into smaller, weaker swell in the 2ft to 5ft range, with combined energy mostly in the 300s to 700s. The 24th morning shows a 5ft SSW swell at 14 seconds with a combined energy of 1047 (strong) and light onshore wind – that could be another pulse if the wind plays nice, but it’s a long way out and less certain.

For the best of the window, hit Saturday the 18th. The morning will have punchy 4ft S swell with a chance of it being a bit wonky due to the long period, but the afternoon is where the size and power really come through. Just be aware, the crowds here are often a factor, especially on a weekend with proper swell. If you’re a beginner, stick to the smaller days. This is a beach-and-reef setup, so when it gets over 5ft, it’s for the experienced crew.

Rusty.

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