Ocean Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Ocean Beach.

Right off the bat, it’s a rough start. The forecast period opens with a blank few days – Thursday and Friday are a write-off. The swell is small and the wind is messy, a cross-shore chop that’s just not worth paddling out for. The wave energy is weak, around 243, and the period is short, just 8 seconds. Honestly, it’s a time to stay on the sand. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing special.

Saturday morning, the wind goes glassy, which is a major positive. The swell is 6 ft from the ENE, but the energy is moderate at 523. The period is still short at 8 seconds, so it might be a bit wonky, but it’s the first real chance for a surf. The crowd profile at Ocean Beach says it’s sometimes crowded, so you might have some company, but it’s the best option early on.

Then things get wild. Sunday through Wednesday, a monster swell rolls in. We’re talking 10 ft to 15 ft from the S and SSW, with energy readings going from 1250 up to a massive 11352. The period builds from 8 to 15 seconds. That’s a powerful, long-period groundswell. The wind is cross-offshore and clean, but the size is just too big for Ocean Beach – it’s expert territory only. The forecast even says the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. This is more of a kite-surfing spectacle than a paddle session.

The real standout comes on Thursday, the 20th of August. Thursday morning, we get offshore wind from the W at 10 km/h, a 10 ft swell from the S with a long 13-second period, and energy at 4577. The forecast calls it “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That’s the pick of the window. The swell direction is from the S, and the optimum swell direction for Ocean Beach is SE, so it’s close enough to be good. The period is long, so it’ll be a proper groundswell with long gaps, but at a beach break it might be a bit straight. Still, for an experienced surfer, that’s the one to circle.

Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd offer a bit of a comedown. Friday morning has offshore wind and a 6 ft swell from the S, with clean conditions. Saturday morning is clean too, with a smaller 4 ft swell from the S, but the period is a very long 14 seconds. The energy is moderate at 708. It’s good, but not a standout.

From Sunday the 23rd onward, the swell drops off and the quality fades. The wind turns variable and the energy dips below 300. The last week is a bit of a fade-out, with small, short-period swell and onshore winds. There’s a brief window on Thursday the 27th with a clean, offshore wind and a 6 ft swell from the NE, but the period is short at 6 seconds, so it’s not gonna be a classic.

So, the bottom line: the first two days are a total loss. The big swell mid-period is for experts only. The best bet for a good, clean, challenging session is Thursday morning the 20th of August. After that, it’s a tail-off into small, ordinary conditions.

Rusty.

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