Ocean Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s coming up for our local stretch.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough run ahead. The first week and a half is pretty much a write-off for anything decent. We’re looking at a solid gap of about 10 days before there’s even a whisper of a proper surf session. The pattern is stubborn, with light to moderate onshore and cross-onshore winds keeping things chopped and messy. The swell is there, but it’s mostly wind-affected and the conditions are just not cooperating.

The first real sign of life shows up on Saturday, August 31st in the morning. Ocean Beach Pier will see a small 3ft swell coming from the SW with a period of 14 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell, which means there’s some energy in the water (combined energy of 504), but it’s a fickle one. The wind is a light onshore (WNW, 9 mph), which is not ideal, but it’s the best we’ve seen. The water is a balmy 75°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a solid 7°F above average, so you’ll be in shorts and a spring suit for sure. It’s still a marginal call, so don’t get your hopes up too high.

The standout, if you can call it that, looks to be the morning of Thursday, September 5th. The swell bumps up to 5ft from the SW (12 second period), with a combined energy of 737. The wind is still a cross-onshore (WNW, 9 mph), but the extra size and period might just push through some cleaner lines. The break is a consistent, exposed beach and reef setup, so it’s got the goods to handle a bit of chop. Expect crowds to be possible here, as it’s the only game in town. The swell is coming from the SW, which is the optimum direction for this spot, so the wave quality should be better than the rest of the junk we’ve been seeing.

After that, it’s back to the same old story. The swell drops off again and the wind stays messy, with most days rated as poor. The long-range stuff around September 8th shows a small spike in size (4ft) but with a shorter period (13 seconds) and moderate wind, so it’s unlikely to be anything special. The second week of September looks flat and uninspiring.

So, to sum it up: if you’ve got a paddleboard or a kite, the wind might give you something to do, but for a surfboard, you’re waiting for that Thursday, September 5th morning window. Keep an eye on the forecast, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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