Ocean Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and I’ve got a look at what’s coming up for Ocean Beach. Let’s get into it.

The surf kicks off this Friday morning, August 7th, with a solid pulse of S swell. The water is running a bit colder than normal for this time of year, sitting at 54°, so you’ll want a decent wetsuit. We’re looking at 5 feet of S swell with a very long period of 16 seconds, which is proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is strong, at 1803. That’s a lot of grunt. The wind is light offshore from the WNW, so conditions will be clean. This is a standout for experienced surfers – the long period means the waves will be powerful and well-shaped, but with that size and period, it’s not for beginners. The break is a beach and reef setup, so the long period might make it a bit tricky and straight on the beach, but with the offshore wind, it’ll be well worth it for the crew who knows what they’re doing.

Friday afternoon sees the swell bumping up to 7 feet, but the wind swings onshore from the ENE, and the conditions get questionable. Not the call.

Saturday morning, August 8th, still has clean conditions with a cross-offshore NW wind. The swell is 6 feet from the S, with a period of 12 seconds and moderate energy at 1174. It’s still a good size, but the quality is clean. This is another solid option for the weekend.

Saturday afternoon turns cross-onshore, and the surf drops off. Sunday, August 9th, gets messy with a strong N wind at 31 mph, and the swell drops to 4 feet. The energy is weak at 597, and the quality is poor. That’s a write-off day.

Monday, August 10th, through to Thursday, August 13th, is a very flat, weak stretch. Swell heights are under 3 feet, and energy levels are mostly in the double digits (183, 163, 114, 97). The waves are ordinary and small. There’s a brief moment on Wednesday afternoon with glassy conditions, but the swell is only 2 feet with a short period of 7 seconds and energy at 97 – barely a ripple. This is a clear gap of several days with no real surf to recommend.

The next notable event is on Friday, August 14th, with a new NE swell pushing in at 5 feet, but the period is short at 8 seconds, and the wind is a messy cross-shore at 15 mph. The quality is poor. Not great.

Saturday, August 15th, is similarly blown out. Sunday morning, August 16th, improves a bit with a clean cross-offshore wind and a 5 feet SSE swell, but the period is only 6 seconds, so the energy is weak and the waves will be choppy and unsurfable. The afternoon turns onshore again.

The next real standout comes on Monday, August 17th, in the afternoon. The swell jumps to 7 feet from the S with a period of 12 seconds, and the combined energy is strong at 1846. The wind is a moderate cross-shore, so there will be some chop, but the power is there. This is more of a kite setup than a clean paddle session, given the cross-shore wind and the size.

Tuesday morning, August 18th, is the best of the second week. The wind is light cross-offshore from the WSW, and the swell is 5 feet from the S with a period of 10 seconds. The energy is moderate at 457. Conditions are clean, and the waves will be a manageable size for experienced surfers. This is a solid, clean option.

The rest of the week into the 22nd sees a mix of onshore winds and small, low-energy swells, with the occasional clean morning but nothing that really stands out. The water stays cold, and the best bets are the Friday morning (7th) and Tuesday morning (18th) sessions.

Rusty

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