Oceanside Harbor Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for Oceanside Harbor.

To be straight with you, this isn’t a stretch for getting amped about. The next couple weeks are looking flat and weak. The swell energy is low, readings are mostly in the 100–200 range, peaking around 700–800 only on the first couple days, but the quality is shot with onshore or cross-onshore winds. The waves are small, and the tide or conditions never click into something you’d want to paddle out for until maybe the very tail end of the outlook.

Oceanside Harbor is a beach and jetty setup, exposed to the west. The water temp is sitting right around average for this time of year—nothing unusual there. The first half of the run is between 30 July and 5 August, with Thursday morning 30 July offering the best energy at 3ft swell from the SSW, period a long 15 seconds, but the wind is WSW at 6 mph, cross-on, and the energy is 798, which is moderate. But the report flags marginal conditions with poor tide, and that cross-on wind messes up the face. It just doesn’t clean up. Friday 31 July morning sees a bump to 4ft from the south, period 14 seconds, energy 706, but again the W wind at 9 mph is cross-on and choppy. After that, things just dribble off. From Saturday 1 August all the way through Monday 4 August, we’re looking at waves under 2ft, energy levels falling into the double digits and low triple digits. Wind stays on or cross-on the whole time. The swell is from SSW or SW, but there’s no push.

After 5 August, we get a tiny lift. On Friday 7 August morning, a long-period swell from the SSW arrives at 2ft but with a period of 19 seconds—very long period, groundswell—energy at 332, so weak, but those long lines tend to wrap around more at jetty and reef setups. But the wind is still cross-on WSW at 6 mph. The next day Saturday 8 August morning, we see 3ft from the SSW, period 18 seconds, energy 445, but onshore SW wind is marginal. That pattern holds through Monday 10 August, when the morning shows 3ft from the SSW, 14-second period, energy 350, with light onshore SW wind. Still not clean.

The one true standout that might be worth a look if you’re desperate is Sunday morning 9 August. The swell is 3ft from the SSW, period 15 seconds, energy 348. The wind is light and onshore from the SW at 6 mph. It’s not glassy, but it’s the largest leftover of the fading swell before it drops again. But honestly, the score and wave comments all say poor or marginal. There’s nothing in this run that shouts “go.”

After 10 August, it gets even worse. Monday 10 August afternoon sees the swell drop to 2ft from the SW with a 20-second period, which is absurdly long for such a tiny wave—energy only 382. Then the rest of the way into 14 August, waves hover around 2ft to 3ft, with all conditions poor. The wind is light but cross-on or onshore. Even the longer period swells can’t save it because the energy is too weak.

So here’s the bottom line: there’s no good surf at Oceanside Harbor in this 16-day window. The only days that remotely come close are Thursday 30 July and Friday 31 July, but they’re let down by cross-onshore wind and marginal tides. After that, it’s a long dry spell. For a break that’s usually very consistent, this is a quiet period. Forecasts can always change, but as it stands, leave the board at home and go do something else.
Rusty

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