Ocean Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a good look at what Ocean Beach has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, the start of this forecast window is a bit of a slow burn. Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th are pretty marginal, with weak southerly swell in the 1ft to 3ft range. The winds are okay, mostly offshore or cross-off, but the energy just isn’t there yet, so don’t expect much more than a dribble.

Things start to get interesting on Monday the 31st of August. We’ve got a solid pulse of south swell arriving, pushing 7ft in the morning and holding at 7ft in the afternoon. The wind is clean and offshore out of the west in the afternoon, and the combined swell energy is strong, sitting at 1289 (moderate to strong wave energy). The period is a decent 11 seconds, so there’s some push behind it. This is a definite standout for the whole run – expect very good conditions under clear skies on Monday.

That swell keeps building into Tuesday the 1st of September, but it gets a little wild. The morning sees 8ft of southerly swell but with a strong 40 km/h cross-off wind, making it messy. By Tuesday afternoon the swell jumps to a serious 12ft from the south with a 13-second period and massive energy (3511). That’s expert territory only, and honestly, it’s predicted to be too big even for this spot. Better to watch that one from the car park.

Wednesday the 2nd of September is a proper highlight. Morning session has 8ft of south swell with a 12-second period, combined energy of 2007 (strong), light offshore wind from the northwest, and clean conditions. This is excellent for experienced surfers. Later in the day it picks up a very long 16-second period, but the wind goes light cross-shore, so it might get a little walled-off. That long period groundswell will love the reef elements of Ocean Beach.

Thursday the 3rd holds good quality as the swell drops a touch to 6ft in the morning with light offshore winds and a 13-second period. Very good conditions. Afternoon is smaller at 4ft but still clean.

We hit a flat spot from Friday the 4th of September through the weekend, with tiny waves and poor conditions. The 5th and 6th see some new life, though. Sunday the 6th of September morning brings a strong 7ft, 15-second SSW groundswell with a combined energy of 1617. The wind is light cross-off, making this another excellent window for experienced surfers. That very long period will produce long, clean lines, especially over the reef.

The following week is more hit-and-miss. We get a small clean day on Thursday the 10th of September with 4ft and decent wind, then another big pulse on Friday the 11th with 10ft of south swell in the morning. That one is raw, period is short at 8 seconds, and the wind is light offshore, so it’ll be punchy and strong. Only for the brave. After that, the surf fades back to small and average through the final few days.

Overall, the golden window is Monday 31st August through to Wednesday 2nd September, with a bonus session on Sunday 6th September. Clean offshore winds, strong southerly groundswell, and solid energy. Those are the days to circle on the calendar. If you’re a beginner, the smaller days on the 3rd or 10th of September are your best bet. The 12ft stuff is for the experts only.

Crowds are possible at Ocean Beach – it’s a consistent spot – so expect company on the good days.

Stay stoked.
Rusty

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