Ocean Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ over the next couple of weeks. Honestly, it’s a bit of a flat spell coming, but we’ve got a little pulse of swell to kick things off before things go quiet.

Right now, starting Saturday the 25th of July, we’ve got some long-period groundswell rolling in at Ocean Beach Pier. We’re looking at a 3ft swell out of the SW with a super long 21-second period – that’s proper energy, gives the waves some real shape, especially at a setup like this exposed beach and reef. The combined energy is chunky, sitting at (742) on Saturday morning, so there’s some weight behind it. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing wild there. Winds are light cross-onshore, so it’s a little bumpy but not blown out. The scores are marginal though, so expect some lumps and maybe a tricky tide. Not gonna be a clean classic, but there’s surf.

Sunday the 26th is much the same story – still 3ft SW swell with a long 19-second period, energy around (838). Winds shift to a light cross-shore in the morning, which is a slight improvement, cleaning things up a bit. Still, it’s marginal surf at best.

By Monday the 27th, the swell picks up a fraction to 4ft out of the SW, 18-second period, and the energy bumps up to (1025) – we’re into moderate wave energy now. The wind stays light cross-shore in the morning, so it’s probably the best looking session of this early run. Not a standout, but the most rideable.

Then things start to wobble. Tuesday the 28th through Thursday the 30th sees the swell hovering between 4ft and 5ft, but the period drops off, and the wind gets more cross-onshore, chopping it up. Thursday afternoon does have a bit more size at 5ft out of the SSW, with (1133) energy, but it’s not clean.

Friday the 31st of July pushes up to 6ft out of the SSW, still with light cross-onshore wind. That’s getting into the bigger range, but with a shorter 13-14 second period and that wind, it’s gonna be a messy wall. Probably more fun for the kite crew than paddle surfers.

Now, here’s the tough part – from Saturday the 1st of August, the bottom falls out. We get a couple of days of small, weak swell, then from the 2nd of August right through to the 9th of August, it’s poor. Swell heights drop to 1ft to 3ft, energy numbers fall into the hundreds – (182), (167), even as low as (133). The combined energy is weak. Winds are mostly light and onshore or cross-onshore, and the surf is just sad. There’s a long gap here, over a week of barely a ripple.

There is one tiny flicker on the 6th of August – a 1ft swell from the SSW with a very long 21-second period and (309) energy, but that’s just a whisper. Not worth getting wet for unless you’re desperate.

So, what’s the call? If you’ve got to surf, the best bet is Monday morning the 27th of July. It’s not a classic, but it’s the pick of a weak bunch – 4ft SW swell, long period, light cross-shore wind, and the most energy of the early days. After that, prepare for a dry spell. It happens here sometimes; the forecasts can change, but right now it’s a long wait.

Rusty, signing off.

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