Ocean Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty comin' at ya from the beach. Let's get into it for Ocean Beach. This is a lengthy outlook, so hang tight.

First off, the water temp is sittin' at a pretty chilly 54°F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year. Feels like that winter bite is still hanging around.

Now, the surf. The next couple of days are a write-off, a real brute. Tuesday and Wednesday are dangerous. We're talkin' solid 13ft to 15ft of southerly swell with a short period, blasted by a strong 22 mph southwest wind. The wave energy is massive – we're lookin' at combined energies of 2755 and 4535 respectively. That's not for paddling; that's for survival. Ocean Beach is a beach and reef setup, and with that much energy and wind, it’s gonna be a washing machine. This is more of a kite-surfing show than anything else. You'd be a fool to paddle out there.

It starts to settle on Thursday morning. The swell drops to 7ft from the south, and the wind eases to a gentle 9 mph cross-off. The energy is still solid at 1701, but it's clean. This is good for experienced surfers only, as that 7ft is still pushing it for most.

Friday morning is where we get our first real standout. The swell has dropped to a clean 5ft from the south, but get this – the period is a very long 16 seconds. That's a proper groundswell, full of power and shape. The wind is a light 6 mph from the northwest, a near-offshore condition, leaving the face clean as a whistle. Combined energy is a solid 1252. This is a gem. Long period south swell at Ocean Beach with clean conditions is a treat. Just a heads up, with that period, it might be a bit straight at the beach, but the better lines will be there.

The weekend (Saturday and Sunday) flattens out and gets ordinary. Swell drops below 3ft with weak energy (242 down to 64). Not worth paddling for.

Monday, the 24th of August, brings a pulse. It's a 4ft south-southwest swell with a long 15-second period. The wind is offshore from the west-northwest at 12 mph, so it's clean. The energy is moderate at 613. Good, but nothing to write home about.

Now, Tuesday the 25th of August is another standout. We've got a 4ft south-southwest groundswell with a very long period of 17 seconds. The wind is light from the southwest, a cross-off breeze. It's glassy clean with a combined energy of 932. This is the sort of swell that loves a point or reef, but on a clean day at Ocean Beach, it'll offer up some long, lined-up waves. The period is so long, though, that paddle-outs will be easier as the sets are spaced out.

Wednesday the 26th of August keeps it going. Another 5ft south-southwest swell with a 14-second period, light winds from the west-northwest, and a combined energy of 1107. Very good conditions again.

After that, it gets messy. There's a bit of a lull with onshore winds and no real quality until we look way ahead. The best bet in the second week is looking at Tuesday, the 1st of September. The forecast shows an 8ft south swell with a 15-second period, and the wind is glassy offshore. That's expert territory with a combined energy of 3213. It's a dangerous, powerful swell, but for the crew that can handle it, the conditions will be absolutely pristine. That one's promising, but we're a long way out.

The rest of the week after that fades into messy, onshore junk.

So, to boil it down: the absolute best on offer is the Friday morning, 21st of August, and the Tuesday morning, 25th of August. Don't sleep on 'em.

Rusty.

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