Ocean Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Imperial version:

Alright, let’s cut to it. The next couple of days are flat and sloppy – Sunday’s barely worth waxing up, and Monday afternoon turns into lumpy junk with the wind swinging cross-shore. You’ll be fighting whitewater more than riding anything.

Things start to pick up around Tuesday. We get a 10ft SSE swell, but it’s short-period (8s) and only moderate energy (1159 combined), so it’s not going to be pretty – cross-off wind, clean-ish, but lumpy. Wednesday morning is where you want to be: 5ft from SE, dead glassy, light offshore, but still only 8 seconds, so it’s a bit bouncy. That’s your first honest surf of the week – clean, playful, and the crowds are sometimes there, so keep your head on a swivel. By Thursday and Friday, we’re back to waist-high dribble, and what little there is has long periods but no guts – Friday’s 19s SSW only brings 4ft, and that’s a stretch.

Now listen up, because the big one is a week out. Sunday the 13th – we’ve got a 21ft SSW groundswell with a 17-second period, and the energy is off the charts (31601). That’s not just big, that’s “holy crap” big. But Ocean Beach can’t handle it – it’s way over 8ft, so experts only, and I mean only the ones with spare boards. The wind is light offshore in the morning, so it’s glassy on the face, but you’d need a reef or a point to enjoy it. Monday the 14th still has a monstrous 12ft of swell, but the wind is screaming offshore at 31 mph – that’s a paddle battle, and even the afternoon drops to 10ft with fresh winds. Kitesurfers, this is your playground; paddle surfers, maybe just watch the horizon.

The second week calms down. Tuesday the 15th is your next real surf – 5ft from S, 12 seconds, light cross-off winds, clean, moderate energy (684). That’s a fun, manageable size for most of us. Wednesday the 16th has similar 5ft waves but the wind is howling at 25 mph offshore – clean but brutal to get into. Thursday the 17th is small (3ft, 10s) with moderate winds, and Friday the 18th jumps to 8ft from SW with a 12-second period, but again strong offshore winds (28 mph) make it a chore. The weekend of the 19th–20th brings a messy 7ft SSW swell with rain showers and cross-off winds – not terrible, just meh. By the 21st, it’s fading to 2–3ft with strong offshore winds, and you’re better off doing something else.

So the two clear standouts: Wednesday morning the 9th – small, clean, glassy, perfect for a grovel or a log – and Tuesday the 15th – the best mix of size, wind, and rideability. The big Sunday is all about the spectacle, not the surfing.

Water temp is 54°F today, about 2° colder than normal, so grab the 4/3 and booties. Stay stoked.

Rusty, out.

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