Ocean Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board and let's talk about what's comin' up. This is for Ocean Beach, a beach and reef setup that's fairly exposed and works best when the swell is coming from the southeast. We've got a solid run of swell on the way, but it's not all gonna be easy to handle.

Right off the bat, Wednesday morning, July 29th, we're looking at a solid start. It's a bit colder than normal in the water today, with the temp sitting at 55°F and running about a degree behind the average for this time of year. The swell is already pumping at 6ft from the ESE with a period of 13 seconds, packing a good amount of energy (1160). The wind is a light 6 mph from the NNW, which is a clean cross-offshore breeze. That's a proper groundswell, and it's gonna be breaking nicely. The waves are clean, but with that chest-to-head high size, it's not a beginner's wave. Don't expect to be alone out there, this spot can get crowded.

Thursday morning, July 30th, is another goodie. The swell drops a touch to 5ft from the ESE, still with a 12-second period and solid energy (729). The wind is light from the NW, clean and cross-off again. It's a perfect size for a long session, cleaner than a whistle.

We hit a bit of a lull on Friday, July 31st, with the swell dropping to 3ft. The energy is weak (308), and while the morning has a light cross-off, it's marginal at best. The afternoon shows a strong offshore wind, but the swell is just too small to get excited about.

Then the game changes. Saturday morning, August 1st, sees a new pulse of swell push in, 7ft from the SSW with a 9-second period. The energy is back up (946), and the wind is a gentle cross-off from the SW. It's a bit shorter period, so it'll be a bit more crumbly, but still fun. The afternoon, however, gets a bit wild. The swell jumps to 10ft, and the wind ramps up to 22 mph from the SSW. That's getting into big, messy territory.

Sunday, August 2nd, is where things get real serious. The morning swell is 12ft from the S with a 11-second period and massive energy (5206). The wind is a fresh 19 mph from the SW. That's a lot of water moving. The reading says it's too big for this break, and I'd have to agree—this is for experienced crew only, and even then, it's a battle. The afternoon is 8ft but still with a strong wind.

The good news is that Monday, August 3rd, cleans right up. The swell settles to 6ft from the SSE in the morning, and the wind is offshore from the WNW at a light 6 mph. The afternoon is even better, with the swell bumping to 7ft from the S and the wind staying light and offshore from the W. That's a full day of clean, lined-up waves, and the energy is solid (753 and 1161).

Now, for the brave and the bold: Tuesday, August 4th. The morning shows a 21ft monster from the SSW with a 15-second period and an insane energy reading (27045). The wind is light and offshore, but that's just a "good luck" kind of scenario. That is a huge, powerful groundswell. It's a legit once-in-a-while swell, but only for the absolute top-tier experts. The same goes for Wednesday, August 5th with 12ft to 13ft sets.

The rest of the first week into the second week stays big and windy. From Thursday, August 6th through Tuesday, August 12th, the swell never drops below 10ft, and the wind is mostly onshore, cross-shore, or just too strong. It's going to be a blown-out, lumpy mess. The energy readings are all in the thousands, but the quality is shot. Honestly, this setup looks way more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Then, after a long stretch of oversized and messy conditions, we get a window. Thursday morning, August 13th, the swell drops to a manageable 10ft from the ESE with a 12-second period, and the wind is a slight 3 mph from the NW, clean and cross-off. The energy is still strong (2100), but it's finally surfable for experienced surfers again. The water will be clean, and the sets will have some punch. This is the standout for the end of the run, but it's a long way out, so keep your fingers crossed.

So, to sum it up: the first couple of days this week are your best bet for clean, fun waves. The middle of the week is for the big-wave chargers only, and the second week is mostly a write-off until that Thursday morning shines through. Keep an eye on the sky.

Rusty.

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