Ocean Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Ocean Beach over the next couple of weeks.

First up, the water temperature is sitting at 55°F, which is a bit colder than we usually get this time of year – about a degree and a half off, so you’ll want a decent wetsuit.

Truth be told, the start of this period is a bit of a write-off. Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th are offering tiny, weak slop. The swell is barely a ripple, with a combined energy of just 37 to 101 – that’s flat, mate. Not worth paddling out for.

We do get a little pulse on Saturday the 25th morning. The swell is a small 2ft from the east, with a long 12-second period, and the wind is offshore from the west. It’s clean, but it’s only got a weak energy reading of 213, so it’s small and a bit gutless. A few waves for the logs, but nothing to get excited about.

Sunday the 26th morning is where things start to look more interesting. The swell picks up to 5ft from the south, short period at 8 seconds, and the wind is light and cross-offshore from the southwest. The energy jumps to 667 – that’s a moderate, fun-sized swell. This is the first real window for a decent paddle, but that short period means it’ll be a bit crumbly.

Now, the standout window is from Monday the 27th morning through to Thursday the 30th. We’ve got a consistent, long-period groundswell from the east-southeast, with periods of 12 to 13 seconds. The swell size builds from 4ft on Monday morning up to 7ft on Tuesday morning. That Tuesday morning session is the pick of the first week. The wind is light offshore from the west-southwest, the wave energy is strong at 1523, and the conditions are clean. For a beach and reef setup like Ocean Beach, that long-period swell from the east-southeast will be running straight down the line, offering some great walls. It’s getting a bit big for beginners at 7ft, so this is one for the intermediate crew and above.

The morning of Wednesday the 29th is still very good, with 6ft and clean offshore winds, energy at 1025. The afternoons get a bit crumbly with a cross-onshore breeze, but the mornings are the go.

Over the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of August, the swell gets cranking. Saturday the 1st morning sees a solid 8ft from the south, with a period of 9 seconds. The energy is a huge 1485, and the wind is light and cross-offshore. This is borderline for experts only – over 8ft is a big ocean. The afternoon gets messy with a strong cross-shore, but the morning is a ripper if you’ve got the skill.

Sunday the 2nd of August is another top call. The morning has 8ft from the south, 11-second period, energy of 1532, and light cross-offshore winds. Then the afternoon goes glassy – a rare treat – with a 7ft south swell and zero wind. That’s a top-tier session for experienced surfers, with clean, powerful lines.

The following week drops off a little. Monday the 3rd morning is still a fun 5ft from the southeast, 10-second period, energy of 749, and light winds – a good little session. By Tuesday the 4th, it’s dropping back to 2ft.

Then the 5th of August onward gets nasty. A huge storm swell hits. Wednesday the 5th has 10ft but with a screaming 28 mph cross-shore wind. The energy is a massive 2209, but it’s a washing machine. This is more for kite surfers than paddle surfers. Thursday the 6th is even worse – 20ft of swell and strong cross-shore wind, energy at 8308. That’s dangerous for anyone but the most insane chargers.

Friday the 7th of August is the biggest of the lot – 21ft from the southeast with a 12-second period, energy at 12347. The wind is cross-offshore, so it’s clean, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. That’s an absolute bomb, and only for the reckless.

So, to sum it up: the best bet is the Tuesday the 28th of July morning for a solid, clean 7ft long-period swell, and the Sunday the 2nd of August morning and afternoon for a big, powerful, and glassy south swell. The rest of the first week has some good early sessions, and the second week is a massive, messy, and dangerous swell event.

Rusty.

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