Oceanic Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty coming to you from the Oceanic Pier. I’ve stared at the charts for this stretch, and folks, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough watch for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a long, flat spell to start, so don't bother waxing up just yet.

We’re looking at a 16-day window that begins with a whole lot of nothing. From Thursday, the 27th of August right through until the morning of Wednesday, the 2nd of September, it’s pretty much dead. The swell is barely a ripple at 1ft to 2ft, coming from the ESE or SE with a short, weak period of 7 to 9 seconds. The combined energy is way down, like in the 20s and 30s, which tells you there's just no push. You’ll be sitting out there on a glassy morning, like Sunday the 30th, watching a flat ocean. That’s the cruel kind of tease.

Things finally try to wake up on the morning of Wednesday the 2nd. We get a bump of 3ft from the SE with a period stretching out to 11 seconds, which bumps that combined energy up to 142 (moderate wave energy). It’s not huge, but that longer period suggests a bit more shape and better waves. The wind is light offshore from the SW, keeping things clean. This is your first real chance, but it’s only rated as “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” so set the bar low. That very ordinary tag sticks around for the next few days.

Now, for the standout in this whole quiet period, you gotta look ahead to Tuesday the 8th of September. We get another push of 2ft from the SE, but the period hits 12-13 seconds and the combined energy climbs to 127-173 (moderate wave energy). This is the most grunt we’ll see, but the catch is the wind that day is onshore from the ENE and then cross-onshore from the SE. It’ll chop it up. The morning of Wednesday the 9th has cleaner wind with a light cross-off from the NNW and the same 2ft at 12 seconds (combined energy 155), which makes it your best bet for a half-decent session, even if the conditions are still “very ordinary”.

Honestly, most days the swell is too small, the period is too short, and you’re fighting wind or chop. The crowd at Oceanic Pier can be a problem sometimes, but with this outlook, you might have the place to yourself. For the beginner surfers, this is a perfect window to learn, but for everyone else, we are hurting. If the wind gets strong from the SSW again, this beach/pier setup might be more interesting for the kite surfers than the paddle crew.

It’s a bleak run. But remember, these forecasts can flip. Hang tight.

- Rusty

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