Oceanic Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m gonna be straight with you – if you’re hanging out for a wave at Oceanic Pier over the next couple of weeks, you’re going to be twiddling your thumbs for a looong time. This is a tough stretch, and the first proper chance of anything rideable doesn’t show up until Friday morning, September 25th, nearly two full weeks away. Before that, it’s pretty much a write-off.

From now through late September, it’s a desert. The swell is tiny, mostly around 1.0ft to 2ft, and what’s there is coming from the SE with short, weak periods of 5 to 8 seconds. The wind is all over the shop – cross, cross-off, cross-on – and even when it goes glassy on the morning of Monday the 14th, the energy is just pathetic (38 for the combined swell energy). It’s a total non-event for a paddle surfer. The whole run from now right up to Thursday the 18th is a complete dud.

Things get a little more interesting energy-wise around Saturday the 19th, with the combined energy jumping to 197, and a 4ft ENE swell showing up, but it’s a 7-second period and the wind is cross-on from the NE. It’s still labelled as poor surf conditions. That carries on through Sunday the 20th and into the next week, with the swell getting bigger – 5ft to 6ft on the 22nd – and the energy getting strong (562 to 693), but the wind is just murder: onshore and cross-onshore, making it choppy and messy. Honestly, with that much wind and a beach/pier setup, it’s looking more interesting for kite surfing than a proper paddle session.

Finally, on the morning of Friday, September 25th, we get our one and only glimmer. The swell drops back to a tiny 2ft from the east with a decent 10-second period, but the wind goes offshore from the WNW with a gentle breeze and the water will be clean. The combined energy is only 87 – weak – but the description says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions”. It’s the only time in the whole outlook where the score isn’t a zero. For a beginner-friendly, consistent spot like Oceanic Pier, that’s the one window. It won’t be big or exciting, but if you’re desperate for a grovel, that’s your chance. The afternoon even holds with a cross-off, but the swell stays small.

So, the long wait is real. A blank run like this isn’t unusual for the area when the swells are this small and badly aligned. Hang in there, and check back; forecasts can change. It tends not to stay this poor forever.

Rusty.

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