Oceanic Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. The outlook for Oceanic Pier is a bit of a tough one. Honestly, there’s nothing in the first few days that’s worth paddling out for. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell is weak and tiny. We’re looking at a real dry spell for a while.

On Saturday, September 5th, the afternoon brings a risk of thunderstorms and a tiny 1ft swell from the ESE with a short 8-second period. The combined energy is a measly 12 (weak), and the wind is cross-off, so the surface is clean, but there’s just no power to work with. The water is a warm 83°, which is about average for this time of year.

Sunday the 6th is much the same, with early morning clear skies but a cross-on breeze and even less energy (7). The swell is barely there. This pattern of small, poor surf dragged down by onshore winds continues through the middle of the week. Monday the 7th sees a bit more size, with 4ft of swell from the E, but it’s short-period (5-6 seconds) and the wind is a strong 16 mph onshore, making it choppy and messy. The energy picks up to 104 (moderate) on Monday morning, but it’s not worth it with that wind.

We go through a gap of several days where the surf quality is just poor. The wind is a constant problem, and the swell is either too small or too wind-affected. Even when the wind goes glassy on Friday, September 11th, the swell is only 1ft. It’s a tease.

The next real shift comes on Sunday, September 13th. The swell picks up to 5ft from the E, with combined energy jumping to 206 (strong) in the morning and 236 (strong) in the afternoon. This is the biggest swell of the whole forecast. But here’s the catch – the wind is a moderate 12 mph cross-onshore in the morning, and 9 mph onshore in the afternoon. The period is only 6-7 seconds, so it’s windswell, not a clean groundswell. At 5ft, this is getting into the zone where it’s a bit much for beginners, and because it’s a beach/pier setup with that crummy wind, the waves are going to be a choppy mess. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Monday, September 14th, is a little better. The swell drops to 3ft from the ESE, but the period stretches to 9 seconds, and the wind is a light cross-shore from the NNE at 6 mph. The energy is still moderate at 151. This is the most promising window for a paddle. The waves will be small and clean, with a bit more shape from the longer period.

After that, the energy fades back down. The last day with any real note is Sunday, September 20th, when the morning goes glassy with a light southerly breeze, and a 1ft, 9-second period swell from the E. The energy is 48 (weak). It’s clean, but tiny.

The standout of the whole run is that Monday, September 14th morning session. It’s not a big day, but the light cross-shore wind and the longer 9-second period should give you the cleanest, most fun little waves on offer. After that, the second week looks flat and pretty lifeless, so don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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