Ocean Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s slice into the next 16 days for Ocean Beach. We’ve got a slow start, but the second half of the week looks like the real deal. We’ll see a solid run of clean, consistent surf from Monday onward, but there’s a big, heavy swell brewing for the second week that might be too much for this spot.

The first few days are pretty quiet. Saturday morning we’ve got a clean 4 ft wave from the south with a 12-second period, and light offshore winds out of the west-northwest. The energy is moderate (357), and it’s a decent little session to get the arms moving. The water temp is about average for this time of year. Saturday afternoon stays clean but drops a touch to 3 ft.

Sunday looks like a write-off. The morning is a mess with a 5 ft northerly windswell at a short, weak 5 seconds, and a howling 19 mph cross-off wind. The afternoon settles to a tiny 1 ft from the east-southeast, but it’s not worth the paddle.

Monday, August 24 is the first standout. The morning kicks off with a solid 7 ft SSW swell at 9 seconds, and the energy is picking up steam (847). By the afternoon, it gets even better: the same 7 ft swell from the SSW, but the period stretches to 13 seconds, and the wind goes glassy calm. The energy jumps to 1313. This is clean, powerful, and set for Ocean Beach. The town crowds are possible, but with that quality, it’s worth it.

Tuesday keeps it tidy with a 4 ft SSW swell in the morning and 3 ft in the afternoon, both clean. Wednesday morning is a bit smaller at 2 ft, but the period is a very long 17 seconds—that’s a proper groundswell. It’ll wrap in nicely, but the sets will be slow. The afternoon goes a bit onshore, so the morning is your window.

Thursday, August 27 is the pick of the first week. The morning shows 6 ft from the south at 14 seconds, with a light offshore breeze. The energy is pumping at 1204. The afternoon is nearly as good: 5 ft, same direction and period, still offshore. Clean, consistent, and well-shaped.

Friday morning is a glassy dream with 4 ft from the south at 12 seconds. The energy is still high (836). Get in before the afternoon onshore wind trashes it into a cross-on mess.

The weekend (August 29-30) fades. Saturday and Sunday are small and weak, with the energy dropping below 300. Sunday afternoon is glassy but ankle-high. Not much to write home about. Monday, August 31, brings a pulse back: 6 ft from the SSW in the morning, clean, but the period is short at 8 seconds. The afternoon jumps to 8 ft from the south, but the wind is onshore, making it junky.

Now, the second week gets interesting. Tuesday, September 1, is clean in the morning with 5 ft from the south, but the onshore wind returns in the afternoon. Wednesday, September 2 is a monster. We’re looking at 13 ft from the south in the morning, and 15 ft in the afternoon, with a 10-11 second period. The energy is off the charts (2718 and 4553). This is way too big for beginners. It’s a serious, expert-only affair if you can handle the power. The wind is cross-off, but with that size, it’s a beast.

Thursday, September 3, is still big at 10 ft but with a longer 13-second period and a strong 19 mph wind. Conditions are marginal. Friday, September 4, is a write-off with strong cross-shore winds. The real recovery comes on Saturday, September 5 afternoon: 8 ft from the south at 12 seconds, clean, and the energy is 1466. That’s excellent for experienced surfers. Sunday, September 6, holds at 7 ft, clean, and will be a nice way to close the run.

All in all, your best bets are Monday the 24th, Thursday the 27th, and Saturday the 5th of September. The big stuff on September 2 is for the brave only.

Rusty.

Read more