Ocean Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at the next couple of weeks. We’re looking at Ocean Beach, a beach and reef setup. The water’s sitting at 54°, which is a bit colder than we’d normally expect for this time of year – that anomaly of -3° is noticeable, so you’ll want a good wetsuit.

The first real action kicks off this Sunday morning, the 13th. We’ve got a solid SSW swell pushing in at 6 ft, with a period of 14 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, and the energy reading is a hefty 1479, so there’s a lot of power in the water. With the wind coming from the west at 9 mph, it’s offshore and clean. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers – the size and power make it a no-go for beginners, but if you’ve got the skills, Sunday morning is the standout of the whole forecast.

Later on Sunday afternoon, the wind swings southerly and picks up to 19 mph, creating a cross-shore chop. The swell stays similar, but the conditions get messy, so I’d call it a morning mission only.

Monday the 14th starts off nicely with glassy conditions from a northwesterly breeze at just 3 mph. The swell drops a touch to 6 ft from the south, with a 12-second period. It’s good, clean surf, but not quite the punch of Sunday. The energy is still strong at 1056. Afternoon brings onshore wind, so morning is the call again.

Tuesday the 15th sees the swell ease to 4 ft, period dropping to 10 seconds, energy down to 356. It’s clean in the morning with a cross-offshore breeze, but the quality is more average. By Wednesday the 16th, the swell is tiny – 2 ft, short period, and weak energy. We’re in a flat spell for a few days.

Friday the 18th shows a pulse of 3 ft swell from the southeast with a 13-second period, and it’s glassy in the morning. Energy is moderate at 598. Good conditions, but small. Saturday the 19th stays small but clean, with some nice glassy afternoon conditions and a 3 ft SSW swell at 15 seconds.

Sunday the 20th gets blown out by strong southwest winds, and the swell is small. Monday the 21st is clean but tiny.

Then, look out for Tuesday the 22nd. That’s a big one. The swell jumps to 10 ft from the south, with a 10-second period and an energy reading of 1878 – that’s powerful. Morning winds are light and cross-offshore, so it’s clean. This is expert territory only; 10 ft is no joke. This is another standout, but it’s more than a week out, so keep an eye on it.

The rest of the forecast into late September has a few more pulses – 6 ft on Friday the 25th with glassy conditions, and 5 ft on Saturday the 26th – but the wind and size vary. Overall, Sunday the 13th morning and Tuesday the 22nd morning are your best bets. Everything else is small, inconsistent, or wind-affected. For beginners, stay out of the water when it’s over 5 ft, and definitely avoid the 10 ft day.

That’s the picture. Stay safe out there.

Rusty

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