Ocean Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your wettie, let’s talk about what’s coming up at Ocean Beach.

First up, the water’s running a bit cool for this time of year, about 56°, nearly a full degree colder than we’re used to, so you’ll want that extra rubber.

Honestly, for the next few days, it’s a bit of a wait. Saturday the 4th and Sunday the 5th are basically write-offs – messy wind, poor surf quality. Monday the 6th morning might look tempting at 8ft, but the wind is onshore and that east-northeast swell is short period stuff, making for a lumpy, choppy mess. Not worth the paddle.

The first real glimmer comes Tuesday morning, July 7th. The wind goes completely glassy – just 3 mph out of the west, and the water is going to be smooth as a lake. We’re looking at a solid 8ft of east swell with a decent 10-second period. There’s a fair bit of energy behind it (1228) and that combined with the calm conditions should deliver some really nice, clean lines. This is your best bet for the first week if you want a proper session without getting blown off the face. The crowds will be a factor though, as it’s a consistent spot.

Wednesday the 8th is another standout for the experienced crew. Morning glass-off again with a perfect 3 mph offshore breeze from the west, and the swell is holding at 8ft with moderate energy (1493). The waves will be powerful and clean, but at this size, it’s pushing into expert territory. Not one for the learners.

Things go downhill on Thursday the 9th as the wind swings southerly and bumps up. Then Friday the 10th through Saturday the 11th we see a big spike, with the swell jumping to 12ft – 13ft. That’s way too big for Ocean Beach, the wave energy is through the roof (3159 on Friday morning). For paddle surfing, that’s a no-go, but for the kite crew, those conditions will be an absolute playground.

We get a bit of a reprieve Sunday the 12th through Tuesday the 14th with the swell dropping back to a manageable 8ft, but the wind is still strong and cross-off, making the conditions a bit of a battle. The stand-out in this second week though is Wednesday morning, July 15th. We get a cleaner 6ft east-southeast swell with a lovely long 12-second period, a nice cross-off breeze from the southwest, and wave energy in the moderate range (1047). It won’t be as dramatic as the earlier glass-offs, but it will be a really fun, shapey day for a intermediate surfer.

The run continues to clean up, but by Thursday the 16th, the swell drops right off to a weak 4ft. Then Friday the 17th delivers another big, powerful punch of northwest swell at 10ft, but with short period and poor wind alignment. After that, the tail end of the 16-day window sees another huge south swell on Sunday the 19th – 16ft and massive energy (6350) – again, strictly for the tow crew or the kites. Too raw and dangerous for a normal paddle session.

So, to sum it up: if you want the best clean waves without getting hammered, your window is Tuesday morning July 7th for the all-rounders, and Wednesday morning July 15th for a more relaxed, shapey long-period swell. The rest is either too blown out, too big, or just flat.

Stay stoked.
Rusty.

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