Ocean Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, this is Rusty again, giving you the long haul in old-school numbers. Let’s be straight with each other: there isn’t a single, proper, throw-yourself-into-it session on this whole 16-day run. It’s a flat, grovelly stretch, and the charts are pretty locked in on that.

Here, Ocean Beach Pier (San Francisco) is our only spot, and it’s an exposed, consistent piece of coast, but the numbers just aren’t kind. The whole run kicks off soft. We’re lookin’ at a lot of “marginal” and “poor” reports in the daylight hours.

For that first week, from Monday the 24th through the end of August, we get small pulses of push, but the wind ruins it. Take Monday morning: we’ve got a tiny 2ft swell from the WSW with a very long 18-second period, and a weak combined energy (347). The water is sitting at a very unusual 72°, which is much warmer than normal for the time of year. That offshore wind in the early hours won’t stick around, and the waves will be so weak and drawn-out you’ll be drifting.

Things get bumpier toward the end of that first week, with swell heights trying to inch up to about 4ft on Wednesday the 26th and Saturday the 29th, coming from the SSW. The combined energy climbs into a moderate range (738 - 765), but the period drops to 12 seconds and the cross-shore winds chop it all into slop. Not worth the paddle.

Now, if you’re looking for a shred of hope, it lands on Tuesday, September 1st. That morning we finally get some actual clean conditions. The swell is still small at about 4ft from the SSW, with a 12-second period, and the combined energy is moderate (444). What makes this moment stand out is the wind: a light cross-off breeze from the NNE that will clean up those long, crumbly lines. You’ll get a few waves if you’re patient. It’s not a classic, but it’s the cleanest we’ll see.

From Wednesday the 2nd all the way through to Monday the 8th of September, it’s a blank. The wind swings back onshore, the swell drops below 3ft mostly, and one day even throws a fresh 19 mph cross-shore breeze from the S, just mashing the ocean into a choppy mess. The periods do get long again, up to 19 and 21 seconds late in the run, but the energy is weak and this beach-reef break doesn’t handle those long-period lines into anything worthwhile. Mostly lumpy, crumbly, and messy.

So there’s no real “best day,” just one day that’s less rubbish. If you’re itchy, the morning of Tuesday, September 1st is your window. It’s clean, it’s small, but you might find a corner that works. Otherwise, this stretch looks more fun for the kite crew than anyone on a surfboard. Hang tight, mates. The ocean’ll sort itself out.

Rusty.

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