Ocean Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for Ocean Beach Pier.

It’s a pretty grim stretch for the next couple of weeks, to be honest mate. The whole 16-day window is a write-off for anyone looking for a proper session. We’ve got a real gap here with absolutely nothing worth paddling out for. The only breaks that even show up are at Ocean Beach Pier, and it’s not looking good.

From the start on Tuesday, August 11th, we’ve got a long-period SW groundswell rolling in at 18 seconds, but the height is tiny at 2 ft. The combined swell energy is moderate (492), but it’s all for nothing. The water is a very unusual 75°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s the only notable thing. The wind is howling onshore from the WNW at 15 km/h, and the wave comment says it plain: poor surf conditions. That’s your story for the next week.

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, the weekend – it’s the same sad song. Swell stays between 2 ft and 4 ft, period hangs around 14 to 18 seconds, but the wind is always onshore or cross-onshore, often ramping up to 20 km/h. The wave energy peaks a bit on Saturday the 15th with 4 ft SW swell and energy at 595, but it’s choppy and messy. There’s a slight chance of a marginal session on Friday morning, the 14th, and Saturday morning, the 15th, but the wind is still onshore and the reports are marginal at best. It’s not worth the drive.

The whole second week is just as barren. Monday the 17th through to the 25th is all poor surf conditions with onshore or cross-onshore winds and tiny swell. The only flicker of life comes right at the very end on Wednesday, August 26th. We see a jump in swell to 4 ft from the S, with a period of 16-17 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 1081 – that’s strong. The wind is light onshore from the WNW at 15 km/h in the morning, and even drops to a slight 5 km/h in the afternoon. That afternoon session is the only thing that scores a “3” out of ten, with marginal surf. It’s *almost* something, but for a spot that’s consistent, it’s still a tough call.

Because Ocean Beach Pier is always exposed, it’s catching everything, but the wind is just ruining it. With the swell direction coming from the SW, the optimum swell is from the W, so it’s not even a good angle for this break. Honestly, for a beach-and-reef setup with this much onshore wind and consistent chop, this looks more like a kite surfer’s playground than a paddle surfer’s dream throughout the whole period.

Rusty.

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