Ocean Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way.

The next couple of days are looking pretty average, honestly. We’ve got a bit of a lull to start, but the real action starts to build towards the end of the first week. The main focus for any decent surf will be Ocean Beach. It’s a beach and reef setup, fairly exposed to the swell, but it can get a bit wild.

Sunday afternoon, September 6th – Don’t bother. Tiny little 1ft SSW swell with a long 17-second period, but the energy is weak (85), and it’s crossed up by a NNE breeze. The water is sitting at 55°F, which is about a degree and a half colder than usual for this time of year – you’ll feel that.

Monday, September 7th – Still poor. Morning has a weak 3ft S swell but with a short 4-second period and some light rain. The wind is cross-off though, so it might look clean but there’s just nothing to ride. By afternoon, the wind howls up to 22 mph from the SSE, bumping the swell to 8ft, but it’s a lumpy, choppy mess with strong energy (668). Kite surfers might be eyeing this up, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a write-off.

Tuesday, September 8th – Now we’re talking a bit more size. Morning sees a 10ft SE swell with 9-second period and moderate energy (1450). The wind is cross-off from the SSW, so it’s clean. But at 10ft, this is expert-only territory at a beach break. Afternoon stays similar at 8ft, clean, but still powerful. The score says marginal due to tide, so pick your bank carefully.

Wednesday, September 9th morning – This is where it gets interesting. We’ve got a 5ft SE swell, 8-second period, and the wind is glassy from the NW at just 3 mph. That’s a major positive – it’ll be clean. The energy is moderate (296). This is the standout of the first week for the average surfer. It’s not huge, but it’s surfable and clean.

Friday, September 11th morning – Massive. An 12ft S swell, 8-second period, with an energy reading of 1624. The wind is cross-off and it’s clean, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. This is strictly for the big-wave crew and experts only. The afternoon drops to 8ft with offshore wind from the W at 15 mph – that’s better, but still solid.

Saturday, September 12th afternoon – A bit of a weird one. Swell drops to 4ft but the period jumps to 14 seconds from the SSW. The energy is strong (1028) and the wind is fresh offshore from the WSW. That long-period groundswell will wrap in nicely here at a beach and reef, but be aware it can break a bit straight. Still, clean and punchy.

Sunday, September 13th – This is the biggest pulse of the whole run. Morning has a 13ft S swell with 15-second period and an enormous energy of 6577. By afternoon, it’s 18ft from the SSW. The wind is cross-off and clean both times, but this is way too big for the average punter. Experts only, and even then, it’s a handful. The whole Monday that follows stays massive and clean, but again, too big.

Tuesday, September 15th morning – Finally, a drop back to something manageable. A 7ft S swell, 12-second period, with a light NW cross-off breeze. Energy is strong (1297), but this is the best all-rounder window for experienced surfers after the huge stuff. Clean and powerful.

After that, from Wednesday 16th onward, it fades. We get a run of small, weak swells with poor wind, mostly cross-off or onshore, and the energy drops into the double digits. There’s a tiny bump on the 19th with a 1ft SSW swell but a 19-second period – that’s a long period groundswell with weak energy (246) – it’ll be clean but tiny. Not worth getting excited about.

So, the two standouts: Wednesday morning, September 9th for the glassy, clean 5ft waves – that’s your best bet for a fun session. And Tuesday morning, September 15th for a bigger, cleaner 7ft swell with proper period.

Stay safe, and keep an eye on the tides.

Rusty.

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