Ocean Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

First up, we’re looking at a slow start for Ocean Beach (Ocean-Beach). The next few days are pretty flat and ordinary, with a bit of weak, short-period swell on the cards. Thursday morning, the 23rd, you’ll see a tiny 2ft south swell with a long 12-second period, but the combined energy is weak (154) and the water is a bit colder than usual at 55°F. It’s clean, but only just surfable, and nothing to get excited about. Friday and Saturday are similar – small, messy, and not worth paddling out for.

Now, things start to change on Sunday, July 26th. The swell picks up to 8ft from the SSW, with moderate energy (1930). It’s a bit raw though, and the wind is cross-off, so it’s clean but still a little unruly. Monday, the 27th, brings a similar 8ft south swell with strong energy (2357), but it’s still on the marginal side. Not great for beginners at this size.

The real standout window opens up on Tuesday, July 28th. Ocean Beach gets a solid 7ft ESE groundswell with a long 14-second period, and the combined energy is pumping (2053). The morning is clean with a light cross-off breeze from the SW. This is excellent for experienced surfers – good shape, decent energy, and the long period will make paddling out easier. Wednesday morning, the 29th, is nearly as good with 7ft ESE swell at 13 seconds and clean conditions (1411 energy). These two mornings are the best on offer in the first week. Keep in mind, with a long-period swell like this, Ocean Beach, being a beach and reef setup, might get a bit straight, but the quality is there.

Thursday, July 30th, still has some solid 6ft ESE swell, but the wind turns cross-on in the afternoon, so hit the morning session. Friday, July 31st, drops to 4ft, with a light offshore wind from the west making it super clean – a nice day for a longboard if you want to avoid the crowd.

Then we hit a bit of a lull over the weekend of August 1st and 2nd. The swell drops off and gets a bit messy. Saturday morning, August 1st, sees a 6ft NE windswell with a short 7-second period and cross-shore wind – not great. By the afternoon, it jumps to 12ft from the NE, but it’s too big and messy for this break. Sunday, August 2nd, has a clean 7ft ENE swell, but the energy is moderate (960).

Now, here’s the big one. From August 5th through the 7th, we’ve got a massive pulse of south swell. Wednesday, August 5th, sees 13ft and 15ft from the south, with very strong energy (3043 and 4373). The wind is favorable, but this is *way* too big for Ocean Beach. This is only for experts, and honestly, the setup here looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The swell continues to build through Thursday and Friday, hitting 16ft with insane energy (6080 and 6944). This is a huge, powerful groundswell, but it’s a serious hazard for the average surfer.

So, to sum it up: the best of the best is the Tuesday and Wednesday mornings (July 28th and 29th) with that punchy, clean ESE groundswell. The long-range stuff from August 5th is massive but only for the most experienced, and even then, it’s a gamble. Keep an eye on the window, but don’t expect a perfect run.

Rusty.

Read more