Ocean Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about the next couple of weeks at Ocean Beach. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, with a solid run of quality surf later on, but you’ll have to be patient.

Right now, the water is sitting at 55°, which is a bit colder than what we’d expect for this time of year—so make sure you’ve got a decent wetsuit. The first few days are pretty quiet. Wednesday afternoon has a small 2ft swell from the SSW with a 12-second period, but the ENE wind is onshore, messing up the surface. The combined swell energy is weak (259), and it’s just poor conditions. Thursday morning offers a tiny 2ft S swell with a light NNW cross-offshore breeze, which cleans it up a bit, but it’s still very ordinary. Friday drops off even more, with a 1.0ft S swell on the morning and a messy 3ft windswell from the north in the afternoon with a 4-second period and 12 mph winds—total write-off.

Saturday the 25th sees a bit of life. The morning has a 3ft E swell at 12 seconds, with a light WSW cross-offshore breeze, giving clean conditions. The combined energy is moderate (283), and the outlook is good. But the afternoon kicks up the wind to 12 mph, and it’s over. Sunday morning brings a bigger 6ft S swell with an 8-second period and 9 mph SSW cross-offshore wind. The energy jumps to 831 (moderate), and it’s described as marginal, but it’s clean. That afternoon, though, the wind goes cross-shore at 16 mph, and the poor surf conditions come back.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Monday the 27th morning is a standout. We’ve got a 5ft ESE groundswell with a long 13-second period, light WSW cross-offshore winds, and the combined energy is strong (1198). Expect very good surf conditions—clean, with some proper lines. The swell direction (ESE) is a good match for Ocean Beach’s optimum (SE). This is the best on offer in the first week. Tuesday the 28th morning is even better for experienced surfers: 7ft ESE swell, 14-second period, glassy offshore west wind, and combined energy of 1983 (strong). That’s excellent, but 7ft is getting into expert-only territory. Wednesday the 29th morning keeps the 6ft ESE swell, with light NNW cross-offshore winds and clean conditions—another very good session.

The second week is a bit of a wild card. Thursday the 30th morning has a 5ft ESE swell, cross-offshore NW wind, and clean surf, with moderate energy (748). Not a standout, but a solid option. Then things get huge. From Friday the 31st of July through to Tuesday the 5th of August, the swell is forecast to be way too big for this break—10ft to 16ft range, with strong to very strong combined energy (up to 13679). The setups are often clean, but it’s strictly for experts only, and even then, it’s likely too much. However, there’s a glimmer on Thursday the 6th of August: a 5ft SSE swell with a 9-second period and glassy offshore NW wind—dead calm. The combined energy is moderate (667), and the outlook is very good. That morning, with the glassy conditions, could be a real treat for the patient surfer.

Overall, your best bet is the morning of Monday the 27th of July for the combo of chest-high ESE groundswell, clean wind, and good energy. The Tuesday the 28th morning is a close second for the experts. The long-range stuff on the 6th of August is promising but less certain. Crowds are sometimes an issue at Ocean Beach, so keep that in mind.

Rusty.

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