Ocean Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the pipeline for the next couple of weeks.

The ocean is going to have a bit of a split personality over the next 16 days. We start off with a solid pulse of long-period groundswell, but everything is a bit messy with the wind. The real standout will be a big, powerful swell that comes through near the end of the month. But there’s a long stretch of flat, small conditions after that.

Overall Pattern:
We’ve got a strong, consistent run of S-SSW groundswell this week, with a serious spike of energy coming in around the 28th. The water temp is sitting at 55°F, which is 2°F cooler than average for this time of year – nothing too wild, just a bit on the cool side.

The Early Days: This Week
Ocean Beach is the only game in town. A solid SSW groundswell arrives on Sunday the 19th, with 5ft swell at 17 seconds. That’s a long period, which means good shape but long waits between sets. The combined energy is a very solid 1643 (moderate). The issue is the wind – a cross-off S breeze at 16 mph will keep it clean, but it’s a bit of a fight. It’s marginal, surfable, but not perfect.

Monday the 20th brings a bigger swell, 6ft from the S at 15 seconds (1589 energy). The morning looks best with a light SW cross-off wind, but it’s a touch cloudy. By the afternoon, the wind swings S and picks up, creating a lumpy cross-shore chop on a 7ft swell (3918 energy). That’s a lot of juice, but the surface will be bumpy. Tuesday the 21st morning is the early pick – a clean 7ft S swell (2034 energy) with a light W offshore wind. That’s a solid wave for experienced surfers. The afternoon turns to a cross-on breeze, so don’t sleep in.

The Big Swell: The Standout
Hold onto your board. Tuesday the 28th of July is the big event. The swell is predicted to be 12ft from the SSW both morning and afternoon. The combined energy hits a massive 6449 in the morning and 4624 in the afternoon. That is a lot of ocean moving. The wind is a strong cross-off from the SW, keeping it clean. This is a big wave day – over 8ft, so it’s strictly for experienced surfers only. This is the best on offer in the entire forecast, but it’s not for everyone. The strong offshore wind (28 mph) will make it clean but hard to paddle into.

The Post-Big-Swell Lull
After that big pulse, the swell drops off a cliff. Wednesday the 29th is still fun with a 6ft S swell (899 energy) and a glassy offshore wind. That’s a good day. But from Thursday the 30th onward, it gets small. We drop to 2ft and smaller through the end of the week and into the first week of August. There’s a long gap of nothing special from the 31st of July through to the 3rd of August. The energy levels drop to under 100, and the waves are small, weak, and mostly poor. The wind is good, but there’s nothing to ride.

The Second Week: A Flicker
On the 1st of August, a small SSW groundswell (3ft, 15 seconds) appears, but it’s small and the wind is moderate. The 3rd of August Monday morning shows a small pick-up to 3ft from the S at 13 seconds (560 energy), with a light NW wind. It’s a small, clean option, but nothing to write home about. The rest of the 2nd week is mostly flat and ordinary.

The Takeaway:
If you’re an experienced surfer, mark your calendar for Tuesday the 28th of July. The swell is massive, the energy is huge, and the wind is offshore. It’s the standout, no question. For everyone else, Wednesday the 29th is your best bet for a fun, clean, manageable wave. The rest of the run is a long stretch of flatness.

Rusty.

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