Oceanic Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are a bit of a write-off for Oceanic Pier. The swell is tiny and the conditions are just not cooperating. We’ve got a long stretch of poor surf ahead, so don’t be in a rush to wax up.

The water temp is sitting at a warm 83°F which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, so at least it’ll be a nice paddle.

The first half of the 16-day window is a real struggle. From Monday the 10th of August right through to Sunday the 16th, it’s all tiny waves – we’re talking 0.3ft to 2ft – with a mix of onshore and cross-offshore winds. The energy is weak, with combined energy figures barely hitting 40 (8-40). It’s just not worth the effort.

We start to see a little pulse of energy come Monday the 17th of August. The morning shows a 2ft swell from the southeast with a 10-second period, and the wind is light cross-offshore from the west-southwest. The combined energy jumps to 90, and it’s clean. The swell is still small, but it’s surfable – just very ordinary. This is the first real chance to get wet, but don’t expect anything epic.

By Tuesday the 18th of August, the swell direction shifts to the southeast with a longer period of 15 seconds, and the combined energy builds to 109 in the morning and 150 in the afternoon. That long period suggests some better-shaped waves, but the wind turns cross-onshore from the east-northeast, putting a bit of a bump on the surface. The swell height is still only 1ft to 2ft, so it’s not a standout.

The best chance in this whole outlook comes on Wednesday the 19th of August. The morning shows a 3ft southeast swell with a 12-second period and a combined energy of 203 – that’s the strongest we’ll see. The wind is still cross-onshore from the east-northeast at 15 km/h, which keeps it from being perfect. It’s a small, ordinary wave, but it’s the biggest bump of the period. The afternoon sees 3ft but the wind goes onshore. For a true stand-out, we’d need better wind, but this Wednesday morning window is the pick of a pretty average bunch.

After that, it fades again. Thursday the 20th of August has 2ft, but the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, and the energy drops to 102-108. The rest of the week into the 25th of August is a mix of tiny swells (0.7ft to 1ft) and poor wind. By Tuesday the 25th, we get a 4ft swell from the east-northeast with a 6-second period, which is short period and messy, and the wind is onshore from the east-southeast. The combined energy hits 120, but it’s just not clean.

Honestly, if you’re desperate, the Wednesday the 19th morning is your best bet, but it’s not a day to call in sick for. The long gaps of nada are the real story here. For the most part, the setup is more interesting for the kite surfers than the paddle crew.

Rusty.

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