Ocean Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what Ocean Beach is serving up over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, Friday morning the 21st is looking solid, but you’ve got to earn it. We’ve got a strong 5ft south groundswell with a long 16-second period, and the combined wave energy is pumping – we’re talking 1447 (moderate to strong energy). The water’s sitting at 54°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so grab the extra rubber. The wind is light out of the WNW, so it’s cross-off and clean. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers only – that 5ft with that long period is going to have some serious punch and won’t be ideal for beginners. It’s a beach-and-reef setup, so that long-period energy might make it break a little straight in spots, but it’ll still be well-shaped.

After that, we settle into a few days of smaller, cleaner but very average surf. Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd offer nothing special – small swell and building wind. It’s a real lull.

Now, here’s the standout. Monday afternoon the 24th is the session to circle on the calendar. We get a glassy, flat calm afternoon with an 8ft south swell, period at 14 seconds, and the energy rockets up to 2461 (strong). That is powerful, clean, and perfect for anyone with the skills to handle it. Again, this is big – too much for beginners, but for experts, it’s a dream. The cross-off wind in the morning gives way to a glass-out in the afternoon. Ocean Beach is fairly exposed and picks up this south swell well.

The rest of the first week is a mix of clean but weak swell (around 2ft to 3ft) and onshore winds that mess with the shape. Thursday the 27th is particularly frustrating – clean morning, but small.

The second week starts with a bit more hope. Monday morning the 31st has a glassy 3ft SSW swell, period at 13 seconds, and clean conditions. It’s a small but workable window.

But then we get the big wildcard. Thursday the 3rd of September shows a massive 16ft south swell with 14-15 second period. The energy is off the charts – 10389 (very, very strong). This is way too big for Ocean Beach. It’s an expert-only, or frankly, a day to watch from the cliffs. The following morning, Friday the 4th, drops to a still huge 10ft, but with lighter winds and clean conditions, it’s another serious big-wave day for the experienced crew.

Finally, Saturday the 5th sees it mellow to a much friendlier 5ft south swell with clean offshore wind. That’s a great end to the run.

Overall, the best on offer is the glassy 8ft session on Monday afternoon the 24th for experts, and a promising but less certain big swell window around the 3rd and 4th of September for the heavies. The smaller days in between are just filler.

Rusty.

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