Oceanic Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's get into it.

Well, folks, I gotta be straight with you. Looking at the charts for the next 16 days, it's a tough stretch for Oceanic Pier. We've got a long, dry spell ahead. The first few days, from the 17th right through the end of the month, are basically a write-off. We're looking at ankle-snappers, mostly around 1ft to 2ft, with a lot of cross-off and cross-shore wind mucking things up. The water’s at a warm 82°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only thing going for us.

The combined swell energy is weak, barely cracking 30 (30) to 70 (69) on the best days, and most of the time it's just a dribble. There's a tiny window on Saturday the 22nd morning where it goes dead glassy, but with 1.0ft of swell, it's more of a longboard or swim-fins kind of session. Not a real surf. The wind is a problem, swinging around from the south and southwest, making a mess of things.

The whole first week and a half is a bust. This is a stretch where the consistency just isn't there. It's a big old gap of nothing.

Now, we finally get a little flicker of hope late in the run. On Wednesday the 26th, we start to see a pulse. The morning’s still tiny, but the afternoon shows a jump in the combined energy to 123 (123) with a 2ft SE swell and a 14-second period. That's a long-period groundswell, which is a glimmer of quality. The wind is offshore from the west at 6 mph, so it'll be clean. But it's still only 2ft. It's surfable, but don't expect a classic.

The real standout, and I mean the only one worth talking about, is that Thursday the 27th morning. The swell picks up to 2ft from the SE, with a 12-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 246 (246). That’s moderate energy, and it's coming from the optimum northeast direction for the pier. The wind is a light onshore from the ENE, but for that size, it could be workable. After that, the energy stays up into the 200s and 300s for a few days, but the swell direction shifts to the east and the wind gets messy with cross-onshore and onshore conditions. The waves get bigger, up to 5ft, but the quality drops off fast. That setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, to be honest.

So, here's the call: The only day that's worth a look is Thursday the 27th of August, early. It's a gamble, but it's the best on offer. The rest of the 16-day window is about as flat and wind-chopped as it gets. Patience is a virtue, but this one's testing it.

Rusty, signing off.

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